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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
468
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: craft · press · bass · stem · cue · cap · drill · scale

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bass — the fish
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. cap — of ice
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. scale — in music
  11. cue — for pool
  12. drill — the tool
  13. craft — boats
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bass — low music
  16. press — a publisher
  17. cue — a hint
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cap — a lid
  20. press — to push
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. cap — a hat
  24. drill — army training

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