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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. ball — a dance
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. roll — a list
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. ball — a great time
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mine — for digging
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. scale — in music
  24. roll — on a roll

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