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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: wake · club · perch · game · fine · bat · craft · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. club — for golf
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. craft — boats
  18. game — a match
  19. wake — a trail
  20. club — for dancing
  21. craft — a skill
  22. club — a group
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. craft — a handicraft

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