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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. spell — letters
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. march — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. march — the month
  8. club — for golf
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. club — for dancing
  11. craft — boats
  12. club — a group
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. perch — the fish
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. spell — magic
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. march — the month
  24. spell — a short time

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