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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
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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: net · court · perch · present · march · trunk · cap · craft

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cap — of ice
  3. net — after costs
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. court — for sport
  9. march — the month
  10. cap — a hat
  11. present — a gift
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cap — a lid
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. present — the time now
  17. march — the month
  18. present — there
  19. net — for catching
  20. perch — the fish
  21. march — music
  22. net — in sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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