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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 · swing · pitcher · mouse · field · sharp · ball · scale

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. swing — to play on
  8. scale — in music
  9. field — for sport
  10. sharp — clever
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. craft — boats
  13. swing — in golf
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. swing — music
  16. field — farmland
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ball — a great time
  21. field — a subject
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pitcher — a jug

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