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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rash — a series
  10. wound — an injury
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. scale — in music
  14. object — a thing
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wound — an injury
  18. craft — boats
  19. pound — a weight
  20. can — to be able to
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. scale — for weighing

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