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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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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: bear · net · foot · lash · mouse · perch · craft · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bear — the animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. craft — boats
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. foot — a measure
  14. craft — a skill
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. net — after costs
  20. capital — a city
  21. bear — the animal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mouse — for a computer

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