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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cue — for pool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. craft — a skill
  7. shower — to wash
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. saw — the tool
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. march — the month
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cue — a signal
  15. shower — rain
  16. craft — boats
  17. cue — a hint
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. march — music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. march — the month
  24. fork — a garden tool

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