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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 116 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: root · perch · wake · season · file · court · craft · key

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. key — in music
  6. file — a line of people
  7. court — of a king
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. root — of a word
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. file — a tool
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. key — the most important part
  17. root — of a plant
  18. file — a document
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. craft — a skill
  23. root — the cause
  24. perch — the fish

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