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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.

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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: row · plane · craft · present · hand · degree · perch · bay

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. perch — the fish
  5. present — a gift
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. row — a line
  11. degree — temperature
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. present — the time now
  16. hand — in cards
  17. degree — from a university
  18. hand — help
  19. row — to paddle
  20. craft — boats
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. present — there

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