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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.

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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: vault · pass · season · sharp · current · perch · cabinet · craft

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. craft — boats
  7. pass — a permit
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. current — of water
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. vault — a safe
  14. craft — a skill
  15. current — electric
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. current — happening now
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cabinet — ministers

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