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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: mug · scale · season · wound · fork · staff · craft · fan

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. season — in sport
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. wound — an injury
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mug — a cup
  12. craft — boats
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mug — a face
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mug — to rob
  21. scale — in music
  22. staff — a stick
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fork — a garden tool

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