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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: rush · perch · wind · craft · field · kick · can · ground

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. can — to be able to
  3. perch — the fish
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. craft — a skill
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. craft — boats
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. wind — moving air
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. ground — the earth
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. field — for sport
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. kick — in football
  24. rush — hurry

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