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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. scale — in music
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wake — a trail
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. object — an aim
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bound — obliged
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. object — to protest
  21. craft — boats
  22. bound — certain
  23. object — a thing
  24. craft — a skill

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