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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: shower · net · rush · pitcher · perch · present · fine · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rush — hurry
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. shower — rain
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fine — all right
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fine — high quality
  13. present — there
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. net — after costs
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. shower — to wash
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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