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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hand — in cards
  4. craft — boats
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bore — to tire
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hand — help
  20. bore — to drill
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rest — what's left
  24. suit — clothes

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