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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: present · stick · arm · swing · craft · scale · row · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. present — there
  5. row — to paddle
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. scale — size or range
  8. craft — a skill
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. row — a line
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. present — the time now
  16. swing — to play on
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. scale — in music
  21. present — a gift
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. craft — boats

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