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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: craft · perch · jam · field · bulb · vault · degree · prune

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. vault — a safe
  7. craft — a skill
  8. prune — to trim
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. degree — temperature
  11. field — farmland
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. degree — from a university
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. perch — the fish
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. prune — to trim
  21. degree — an amount
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bulb — for light

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