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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.

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
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: perch · craft · vault · chest · pitcher · ground · squash · sharp

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. ground — a position
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. squash — the sport
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. ground — the earth
  10. craft — boats
  11. chest — of your body
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. craft — a skill
  15. sharp — clever
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. perch — the fish
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. chest — a box
  22. vault — a safe
  23. chest — of your body
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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