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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. craft — boats
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pit — in a race
  18. march — the month
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. degree — temperature

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