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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 120 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
468
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: spring · ball · craft · hide · arm · plane · stock · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ball — a dance
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. spring — of water
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stock — shares
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. spring — a coil
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. spring — the season
  14. craft — a skill
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. craft — boats
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stock — goods
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. scale — in music

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