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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: pop · chest · bank · craft · wind · scale

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. scale — in music
  3. pop — music
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bank — for money
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. craft — boats
  16. chest — a box
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bank — for money

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