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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 120 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. scale — in music
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bat — the animal
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. season — of the year
  20. craft — boats
  21. season — in sport
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. chest — a box
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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