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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · rush · perch · craft · bowl · wake · can · fan

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. can — a tin
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wake — a trail
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. degree — from a university
  18. can — a tin
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. degree — temperature
  23. craft — boats
  24. can — to be able to

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