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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: nail · degree · lean · snap · craft · scale · club · coach

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. lean — to bend
  3. craft — boats
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. scale — size or range
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. club — for golf
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. snap — to click
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. degree — from a university
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. degree — an amount
  16. club — a group
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. degree — temperature
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. craft — a skill
  24. lean — thin

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