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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 116 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bass — low music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. craft — boats
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. saw — the tool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. craft — a skill
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. scale — size or range
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bass — the fish
  23. scale — in music
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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