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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.

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: cap · patient · plane · craft · land · game · saw · perch

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. craft — a skill
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. perch — the fish
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. land — a country
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. plane — a tool
  14. land — to come down
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cap — a hat
  18. craft — boats
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cap — of ice
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cap — a lid
  23. game — a match
  24. perch — for a bird

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