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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: bass · rush · field · perch · ball · craft · bore · vault

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bass — the fish
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. craft — boats
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bore — to tire
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bass — low music
  16. field — a subject
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rush — hurry
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bore — to drill

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