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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. craft — a skill
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. scale — in music
  7. key — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. craft — boats
  18. key — for a lock
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. key — the most important part
  23. vault — a safe
  24. scale — for weighing

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