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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. spell — magic
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. prune — to trim
  7. capital — money
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. craft — a skill
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. capital — a city
  17. prune — to trim
  18. craft — boats
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bass — low music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. scale — size or range
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. craft — a handicraft

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