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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. dip — to sink
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cap — a lid
  9. club — for dancing
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. perch — the fish
  15. cap — a hat
  16. club — for golf
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. craft — boats
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. club — a group
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cap — of ice
  23. toast — bread
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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