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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: race · bass · cabinet · press · craft · scale · hide · root

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. race — a contest
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bass — low music
  7. root — of a word
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. press — to push
  10. race — humankind
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. press — newspapers
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — in music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. root — of a plant
  18. race — the arms race
  19. craft — a skill
  20. root — the cause
  21. scale — size or range
  22. press — a publisher
  23. craft — boats
  24. scale — for weighing

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