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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. dip — to sink
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. rash — hasty
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. craft — a skill
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rock — music
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bark — to shout
  13. craft — boats
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rock — a stone
  20. season — of the year
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. season — in sport

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