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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: craft · scale · cabinet · bowl · hand · racket · board · jam

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. hand — in cards
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. board — to get on
  11. hand — help
  12. scale — in music
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. scale — size or range

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