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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.

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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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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: perch · root · cap · stick · craft · bark · calf · rash

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. root — the cause
  3. cap — of ice
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rash — a series
  7. perch — the fish
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. root — of a word
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. rash — hasty
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bark — to shout
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. perch — for a bird

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