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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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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: stick · scale · craft · cap · court · bowl · stand · toast

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. court — for sport
  9. scale — in music
  10. cap — of ice
  11. court — of law
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cap — a lid
  15. toast — bread
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. craft — boats
  23. court — of a king
  24. scale — size or range

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