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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 116 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. plane — a tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. perch — the fish
  14. craft — boats
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pitch — completely
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fine — all right
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fine — high quality

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