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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 · craft · trunk · game · foot · root · patient · bear

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bear — the animal
  4. root — the cause
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bear — the animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. root — of a word
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. perch — the fish
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. foot — a measure
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. game — a match
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. root — of a plant
  24. craft — a skill

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