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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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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: scale · arm · craft · race · bay · jam · rest · shower

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rest — what's left
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. rest — a break
  6. craft — a skill
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. scale — in music
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. race — humankind
  11. craft — boats
  12. shower — rain
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. shower — to wash
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. race — a contest
  17. scale — size or range
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rest — what's left
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. race — the arms race
  24. arm — part of the body

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