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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: date · trunk · bore · fine · swing · perch · craft · ball

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. fine — high quality
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bore — to tire
  5. craft — boats
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bore — to drill
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. fine — all right
  10. craft — a skill
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. date — the fruit
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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