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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 116 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. craft — boats
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. craft — a skill
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. net — in sport
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. key — for a lock
  14. net — after costs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. key — the most important part
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. net — for catching
  22. pound — a weight
  23. scale — size or range
  24. key — 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