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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bank — for money
  7. cue — for pool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bank — for money
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rock — music
  15. perch — the fish
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bank — of a river
  18. cue — a hint
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pound — a weight
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. foot — a measure
  24. wind — moving air

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