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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. scale — size or range
  7. craft — boats
  8. chest — of your body
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. kid — to tease
  13. suit — to fit
  14. sharp — clever
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chest — a box
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. kid — child
  20. suit — in cards
  21. scale — in music
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. chest — of your body
  24. suit — clothes

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