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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.

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 · mate · scale · object · shower · cabinet · net · coach

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. net — after costs
  3. object — an aim
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. object — to protest
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. object — a thing
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. scale — in music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mate — a partner
  13. net — for catching
  14. craft — boats
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mate — a friend
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mate — to breed
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. net — in sport
  23. craft — a skill
  24. scale — for weighing

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