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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.

Make a worksheet

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: scale · key · mine · sharp · craft · ball · pit · cell

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. key — for a lock
  8. scale — in music
  9. cell — a phone
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. scale — size or range
  14. craft — boats
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cell — in biology
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. ball — a dance

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