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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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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 · racket · snap · cell · craft · bay · mouse · scale

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. scale — in music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. snap — to click
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cell — a phone
  12. craft — boats
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. scale — size or range
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cell — in biology
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. racket — for tennis

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