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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 120 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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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 · cabinet · race · deal · scale · net · kick · root

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. root — the cause
  4. kick — in football
  5. craft — boats
  6. net — after costs
  7. race — a contest
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. craft — a skill
  12. root — of a word
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. net — in sport
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. root — of a plant
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. race — the arms race
  21. scale — size or range
  22. race — humankind
  23. scale — in music
  24. net — for catching

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