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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. scale — size or range
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. suit — in cards
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ground — the earth
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. craft — a skill
  9. perch — the fish
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. row — to paddle
  14. suit — to fit
  15. march — music
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. craft — boats
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. march — the month
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. march — the month
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. row — a line

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