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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 116 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: rock · cabinet · trunk · season · craft · mouse · bat · scale

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. craft — boats
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rock — a stone
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. season — in sport
  10. rock — music
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. season — of the year
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bat — the animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. scale — in music

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