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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: fork · craft · dip · scale · content · mouse · ball · pit

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. dip — to sink
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. ball — a great time
  6. content — happy
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. content — the amount
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pit — in a race
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. ball — a dance
  24. fork — to eat with

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