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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: mine · bore · straw · scale · perch · craft · march · bowl

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. perch — the fish
  3. march — the month
  4. mine — for digging
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. craft — boats
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. craft — a skill
  13. scale — in music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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