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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.

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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: scale · stem · cue · wind · craft · saw · toast · ball

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. craft — a handicraft
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. craft — a skill
  4. toast — bread
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. cue — a signal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. craft — boats
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. ball — a dance
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stem — to come from
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. scale — size or range
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cue — for pool
  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