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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: last · craft · hand · scale · perch · firm · cue · staff

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. scale — size or range
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. craft — a skill
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — for pool
  7. hand — in cards
  8. last — to go on
  9. staff — a stick
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. firm — steady
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cue — a signal
  15. firm — decided
  16. craft — boats
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. staff — employees
  19. scale — in music
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. firm — a company
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. staff — employees

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