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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 120 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: craft · pit · saw · shower · race · suit · kid · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pit — a hole
  3. saw — the tool
  4. race — the arms race
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. craft — boats
  9. kid — to tease
  10. shower — to wash
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. suit — to fit
  13. race — humankind
  14. suit — in cards
  15. saw — the tool
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. race — a contest
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pit — in a race
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. perch — the fish

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