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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fine — high quality
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rock — music
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. craft — boats
  8. fine — all right
  9. kid — child
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rock — a stone
  14. craft — a skill
  15. ball — a great time
  16. scale — in music
  17. chip — to eat
  18. ball — a dance
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chip — for betting
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. kid — to tease
  24. scale — size or range

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