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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: perch · ball · craft · mouse · lie · bark · toast · firm

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. perch — the fish
  8. firm — a company
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ball — a great time
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. toast — bread
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. lie — to recline

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