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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. last — finally
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. scale — size or range
  13. last — final
  14. bass — low music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. last — to go on
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pit — in a race

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