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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.

Make a worksheet

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: perch · ball · bay · row · staff · wound · season · craft

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. ball — a dance
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. ball — a great time
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. season — of the year
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wound — an injury
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. staff — employees
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. perch — the fish
  21. row — a line
  22. season — in sport
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. craft — boats

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