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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 120 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: cabinet · scale · current · craft · track · nail · rest · club

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. club — for golf
  4. track — a song
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. track — to keep track
  7. current — happening now
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. current — electric
  14. rest — what's left
  15. current — of water
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. craft — a skill
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. track — a path
  24. craft — boats

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