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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: season · craft · cabinet · spell · kick · fork · content · perch

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. perch — the fish
  5. fork — in a road
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. season — in sport
  13. kick — in football
  14. season — of the year
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. content — the amount
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. spell — magic
  22. content — happy
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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