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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bass — low music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. stand — to bear
  6. present — the time now
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. scale — in music
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. staff — employees
  12. pound — a weight
  13. staff — employees
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. staff — a stick
  24. craft — boats

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