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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 common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. craft — boats
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. shower — to wash
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. fine — all right
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. shower — rain
  18. wake — a trail
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fine — high quality
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chip — for betting

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