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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. vault — a safe
  4. scale — in music
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. march — music
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. march — the month
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. content — happy
  17. craft — a skill
  18. march — the month
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. club — a group
  24. deal — an agreement

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