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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.

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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 · field · scale · chip · nail · pitcher · perch · staff

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. field — for sport
  4. craft — boats
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. craft — a skill
  7. scale — in music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. field — farmland
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. scale — size or range
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. field — a subject
  20. staff — employees
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. scale — for weighing

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