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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: perch · saw · staff · game · foot · rash · craft · pitcher

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rash — hasty
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rash — a series
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. foot — a measure
  13. craft — boats
  14. staff — employees
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. staff — a stick
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. game — a match
  20. staff — employees
  21. perch — the fish
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. craft — a skill

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