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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. staff — a stick
  5. craft — boats
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bore — to drill
  12. staff — employees
  13. craft — a skill
  14. deal — to handle
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. staff — employees
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. perch — the fish
  19. row — a line
  20. bound — certain
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bound — obliged

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