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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 the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. craft — boats
  3. perch — the fish
  4. fork — in a road
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. land — to come down
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. land — ground
  12. stock — goods
  13. rock — music
  14. land — a country
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stock — shares
  17. rock — a stone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. craft — a skill
  24. perch — for a bird

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