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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. craft — a skill
  3. drill — the tool
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. present — a gift
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. track — a path
  9. spell — a short time
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. perch — the fish
  12. track — a song
  13. spell — letters
  14. craft — boats
  15. drill — army training
  16. track — to keep track
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. present — there
  19. prune — to trim
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. dip — to sink
  22. prune — to trim
  23. drill — a practice
  24. spell — magic

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