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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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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: key · ruler · cell · perch · pop · sharp · craft · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. key — for a lock
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. sharp — clever
  11. key — in music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. pop — music
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bank — of a river
  17. cell — a phone
  18. perch — the fish
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pop — soda
  21. bank — for money
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pop — to visit

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