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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
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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: sharp · mouse · craft · cell · snap · spring · perch · court

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. court — of law
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. craft — boats
  7. court — of a king
  8. spring — the season
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cell — a phone
  12. spring — a coil
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. court — for sport
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. snap — to click
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. spring — of water
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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