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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
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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: mark · foot · cold · straw · craft · jam · scale · net

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mark — a trace
  3. scale — in music
  4. net — after costs
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cold — not warm
  7. net — for catching
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mark — a grade
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. net — in sport
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. cold — an illness
  24. straw — a straw man

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