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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: board · craft · rock · bear · pass · spell · kid · scale

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. spell — letters
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. board — to get on
  5. kid — to tease
  6. spell — magic
  7. bear — the animal
  8. scale — in music
  9. kid — child
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rock — a stone
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. craft — boats
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. board — a committee
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. craft — a skill
  24. board — a flat piece

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