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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rock — music
  3. craft — a skill
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. scale — in music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. net — after costs
  8. toast — bread
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bulb — for light
  11. net — in sport
  12. craft — boats
  13. cap — of ice
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. branch — a division
  19. net — for catching
  20. cap — a hat
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bulb — for light
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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