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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 116 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. craft — boats
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wound — an injury
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. key — in music
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. key — for a lock
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. face — to confront
  23. scale — in music
  24. wound — an injury

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