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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: perch · spell · can · snap · fan · craft · scale · court

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. can — to be able to
  3. court — of law
  4. craft — boats
  5. spell — magic
  6. scale — size or range
  7. perch — the fish
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. scale — in music
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. can — a tin
  20. spell — letters
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. snap — to click

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