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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. craft — boats
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cap — a lid
  11. scale — in music
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. craft — a skill
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. lie — to recline
  22. roll — a cake
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cap — a hat

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