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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.

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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 · root · key · patient · march · craft

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. key — for a lock
  3. march — the month
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. march — music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. key — in music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. perch — the fish
  10. root — the cause
  11. key — the most important part
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. root — of a plant
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. craft — a skill
  17. root — of a word
  18. craft — boats

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