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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pit — in a race
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pit — a hole
  11. scale — in music
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. craft — a skill
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wake — a trail
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. sharp — clever

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