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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: can · craft · field · spell · perch · roll · scale · temple

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. scale — size or range
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. roll — a list
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. scale — in music
  11. field — a subject
  12. can — to be able to
  13. spell — a short time
  14. field — for sport
  15. roll — a cake
  16. spell — letters
  17. craft — boats
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. spell — magic
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. field — farmland
  24. can — a tin

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