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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ground — crushed
  3. scale — in music
  4. craft — boats
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. craft — a skill
  7. ground — the earth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wind — moving air
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cap — a lid
  14. scale — size or range
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wound — an injury
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. ground — a position
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cap — a hat

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