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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: pit · bowl · fan · craft · perch · bay · arm · patient

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. perch — the fish
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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