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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: last · game · craft · fall · temple · cue · foot · scale

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. last — finally
  3. foot — a measure
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. scale — size or range
  6. last — final
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cue — for pool
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fall — to drop
  14. last — to go on
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cue — a signal
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cue — a hint
  20. craft — a skill
  21. game — a match
  22. fall — the season
  23. craft — boats
  24. fall — to drop

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