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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bound — tied together
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. drill — army training
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. last — to go on
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bound — certain
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wake — a trail
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. club — for golf
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. craft — boats

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