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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. scale — size or range
  7. saw — the tool
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pitch — completely
  17. scale — in music
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pit — a hole
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. saw — the tool

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