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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
468
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: game · spring · ruler · rash · craft · season · march · perch

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. spring — a coil
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. game — a match
  7. season — of the year
  8. march — music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rash — hasty
  11. craft — boats
  12. season — in sport
  13. rash — a series
  14. march — the month
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. march — the month
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. game — wild animals
  19. spring — the season
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. craft — a skill
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. spring — of water

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