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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. craft — a skill
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. craft — boats
  6. rule — a law
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. scale — size or range
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. rule — government
  12. bass — low music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. net — for catching
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. perch — the fish
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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