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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 · firm · ground · chair · craft · track · wind · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wind — moving air
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a skill
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ground — the earth
  11. track — a path
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. firm — a company
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. track — a song
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wind — moving air
  18. firm — decided
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. firm — steady
  21. chair — a leader
  22. perch — the fish
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. ground — a position

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