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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 116 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: fine · can · craft · perch · rock · bass · tube · saw

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rock — a stone
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. tube — a container
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rock — music
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bass — the fish
  17. fine — all right
  18. bass — low music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. perch — the fish
  21. can — a tin
  22. tube — the underground
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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