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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.

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: bay · perch · land · craft · pitcher · staff · kid · ball

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. land — ground
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ball — a great time
  8. staff — employees
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. land — a country
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. craft — a skill
  14. perch — the fish
  15. kid — to tease
  16. craft — boats
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. staff — employees
  20. ball — a dance
  21. land — to come down
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. kid — child

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