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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · cabinet · cell · craft · fork · scale

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. craft — boats
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cell — in biology
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. scale — in music
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cell — a phone

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