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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: bat · craft · ruler · bowl · perch · clip · arm · bay

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. clip — for paper
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — the animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. clip — a video
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. craft — a skill
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. clip — to cut
  24. ruler — for measuring

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