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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. face — part of the head
  4. scale — in music
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. court — of law
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. scale — size or range
  9. club — a group
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. court — of a king
  13. face — to point toward
  14. craft — boats
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. court — for sport
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. club — for golf
  20. craft — a skill
  21. face — to confront
  22. club — for dancing
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. scale — for weighing

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