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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · mouse · arm · craft · mark · race · deal · court

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mark — a trace
  5. race — humankind
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. perch — the fish
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mark — a grade
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. court — for sport
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. race — the arms race
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. race — a contest
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. arm — a part of something

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