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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bass — the fish
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. scale — in music
  11. lean — to bend
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. branch — a division
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lean — thin
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. craft — boats
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bass — low music
  24. lean — to rest against

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