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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. firm — steady
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. scale — in music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. firm — decided
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. fork — in a road
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. court — for sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. court — of law
  16. firm — a company
  17. bass — low music
  18. craft — a skill
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. court — of a king
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bass — the fish

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