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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cap — a hat
  6. craft — boats
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stand — to bear
  9. squash — to crush
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cold — an illness
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. season — of the year
  18. cap — of ice
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cap — a lid
  21. season — in sport
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. craft — a skill

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