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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: craft · prune · perch · game · trunk · foot · root · spell

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. craft — a skill
  3. perch — the fish
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. craft — boats
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. root — the cause
  14. game — a match
  15. root — of a word
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. root — of a plant
  19. game — wild animals
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. prune — to trim
  24. spell — letters

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