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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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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: row · craft · rock · perch · bank · saw · field · present

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rock — music
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. present — a gift
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. bank — of a river
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. row — to paddle
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bank — for money
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. present — there
  17. rock — a stone
  18. craft — boats
  19. row — a line
  20. bank — for money
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. present — the time now
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. perch — for a bird

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