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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. can — a tin
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. scale — size or range
  6. craft — boats
  7. root — of a plant
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stock — goods
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. stock — shares
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. root — the cause
  14. can — a tin
  15. band — a music group
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. craft — a skill
  18. season — of the year
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. band — a ring
  21. can — to be able to
  22. root — of a word
  23. season — in sport
  24. craft — a handicraft

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