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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. scale — in music
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mark — a grade
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. mark — a trace
  9. track — to keep track
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. tube — a container
  12. net — for catching
  13. craft — boats
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. net — after costs
  21. scale — size or range
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spring — the season
  24. net — in sport

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