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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. track — a song
  4. scale — size or range
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. clip — for paper
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. clip — a video
  11. craft — a skill
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. clip — to cut
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. scale — in music
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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