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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.

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: racket · perch · craft · current · row · sharp · rock · wound

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. sharp — clever
  10. craft — boats
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. current — electric
  14. wound — an injury
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. row — to paddle
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rock — a stone
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. rock — music

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