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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. craft — a skill
  3. game — a match
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. net — for catching
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. net — in sport
  12. mark — a grade
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wake — a trail
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. game — wild animals
  17. net — after costs
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. scale — in music

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