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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. capital — money
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rock — music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. saw — the tool
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. capital — a city
  19. perch — the fish
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rock — a stone
  22. saw — the tool
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com