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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rock — music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. kid — child
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stand — to bear
  10. spring — the season
  11. craft — a skill
  12. scale — in music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spring — of water
  18. rock — a stone
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. craft — boats
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. kid — to tease
  23. spring — a coil
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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