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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bank — for money
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tube — a container
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. tube — the underground
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. craft — boats
  19. board — to get on
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. scale — in music
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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