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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rock — a stone
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. key — for a lock
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rock — music
  9. court — of law
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. court — of a king
  13. craft — boats
  14. bank — for money
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cell — a phone
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — in biology
  21. court — for sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — in music

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