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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: pound · craft · shower · season · plane · dip · perch · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. season — in sport
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. craft — boats
  9. season — of the year
  10. shower — to wash
  11. craft — a skill
  12. current — of water
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pound — a weight
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. plane — a tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. shower — rain
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. current — electric
  24. dip — to sink

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