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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. content — the amount
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. scale — size or range
  23. content — happy
  24. craft — boats

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