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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: bowl · perch · swing · key · straw · stick · chair · craft

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. key — in music
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. swing — in golf
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. key — for a lock
  18. swing — music
  19. craft — boats
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. craft — a skill

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