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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
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: scale · craft · pit · squash · charge · ball · saw · rash

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. squash — the sport
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pit — in a race
  6. craft — a skill
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rash — a series
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pit — a hole
  16. scale — in music
  17. craft — boats
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. charge — a price
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. scale — size or range
  23. charge — in control
  24. craft — a handicraft

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