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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. craft — boats
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rock — music
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. fine — all right
  19. craft — a skill
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stem — to come from

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