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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.

Make a worksheet

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: craft · bound · racket · cold · content · wake · cabinet · scale

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. scale — in music
  3. content — happy
  4. bound — tied together
  5. scale — size or range
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wake — a trail
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cold — an illness
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. craft — boats
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cold — not warm
  24. content — the amount

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