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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.

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 · temple · rush · scale · field · pit · spring · arm

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. craft — a skill
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. field — for sport
  7. craft — boats
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. rush — hurry
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spring — of water
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. field — farmland
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. field — a subject
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pit — a hole
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spring — the season
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pit — in a race

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