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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.

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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: cap · snap · craft · scale · kick · roll · bore · pitcher

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. craft — a skill
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. roll — a list
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bore — to drill
  9. roll — a cake
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. scale — in music
  16. craft — boats
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. cap — a lid
  20. kick — in football
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. snap — to click
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bore — to tire

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