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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: race · rule · craft · pop · scale · court

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. court — of law
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. court — of a king
  5. pop — to visit
  6. race — humankind
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. race — the arms race
  9. scale — in music
  10. race — a contest
  11. pop — soda
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. craft — boats
  16. court — for sport
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rule — a law

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