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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: drill · trunk · degree · perch · pitcher · craft · toast · mouse

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. craft — a handicraft
  3. toast — bread
  4. drill — army training
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. drill — a practice
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. drill — the tool
  12. degree — an amount
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. perch — the fish
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. degree — temperature
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. degree — from a university
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. mouse — the 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