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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. club — for dancing
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stem — to come from
  5. scale — size or range
  6. season — of the year
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. club — for golf
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. season — in sport
  18. club — a group
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. board — a committee
  22. scale — in music
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

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

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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