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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: sharp · craft · bass · court · capital · scale · pit · stick

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. court — of law
  7. capital — money
  8. court — of a king
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. court — for sport
  14. capital — a city
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. craft — boats
  17. scale — size or range
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pit — a hole
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bass — the fish
  23. scale — in music
  24. pit — in a race

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