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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stem — to come from
  12. craft — boats
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. roll — a cake
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. roll — a list
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pop — to visit
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. scale — in music
  24. pop — soda

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