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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 116 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: stem · file · racket · scale · craft · sharp · cabinet · shower

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. scale — in music
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. file — a line of people
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. scale — size or range
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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