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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: track · net · degree · spring · perch · craft · current · band

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. spring — the season
  3. net — for catching
  4. degree — temperature
  5. spring — of water
  6. perch — the fish
  7. current — happening now
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. net — after costs
  13. track — a song
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. net — in sport
  17. band — a music group
  18. degree — an amount
  19. track — a path
  20. degree — from a university
  21. track — to keep track
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. band — a ring
  24. spring — a coil

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