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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wake — a trail
  3. vault — a safe
  4. craft — a skill
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. craft — boats
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. net — for catching
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. foot — a measure
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. net — in sport
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — an illness
  22. net — after costs
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. cold — the Cold War

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