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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: firm · clip · scale · suit · craft · spring · sharp · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. spring — the season
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. firm — steady
  8. suit — clothes
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. spring — of water
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. clip — a video
  14. spring — a coil
  15. clip — to cut
  16. firm — decided
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. firm — a company
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. clip — for paper

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