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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: craft · can · mate · rock · object · cell · scale · game

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rock — music
  7. cell — a phone
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cell — in biology
  10. mate — a friend
  11. craft — boats
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. can — a tin
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. game — wild animals
  17. scale — in music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. game — a match
  20. mate — a partner
  21. object — a thing
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. rock — a stone

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