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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bass — low music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bass — the fish
  9. roll — a list
  10. court — for sport
  11. prune — to trim
  12. craft — a skill
  13. prune — to trim
  14. roll — a cake
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. spell — magic
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. scale — in music
  20. spell — letters
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. spell — a short time
  24. craft — boats

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