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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: jam · net · face · bound · craft · pit · scale · cabinet

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bound — tied together
  3. scale — size or range
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. face — to point toward
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. craft — a skill
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pit — in a race
  12. face — part of the head
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. net — in sport
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. scale — in music
  18. net — for catching
  19. pit — a hole
  20. face — to confront
  21. bound — certain
  22. net — after costs
  23. craft — boats
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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