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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: craft · pound · file · perch · snap · jam · can · bark

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. craft — a skill
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pound — a weight
  11. file — a tool
  12. bark — to shout
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. can — a tin
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. file — a line of people
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. snap — to click
  23. file — a document
  24. craft — boats

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