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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: date · jam · scale · rest · sharp · craft

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. 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. sharp — clever
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. craft — boats
  8. scale — in music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. craft — a skill
  11. rest — what's left
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. scale — size or range
  17. date — the fruit
  18. 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