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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. charge — in control
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. craft — a skill
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. charge — electricity
  8. craft — boats
  9. ball — a dance
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bear — the animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. clip — to cut
  15. charge — a price
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bear — the animal
  20. clip — a video
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. clip — for paper
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. perch — the fish

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