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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: row · saw · craft · stem · scale · mug · pitch · bass

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. mug — to rob
  3. craft — boats
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mug — a face
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bass — low music
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. scale — in music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. craft — a skill
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stem — to come from
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pitch — completely
  24. craft — a handicraft

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