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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 124 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bank — of a river
  4. last — final
  5. craft — boats
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. club — for golf
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bank — for money
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bank — for money
  17. club — for dancing
  18. last — to go on
  19. hand — help
  20. club — a group
  21. last — finally
  22. scale — in music
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. hand — part of the body

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