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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: scale · patient · degree · can · craft · bay · club · hide

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. scale — in music
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. can — a tin
  11. club — for golf
  12. degree — an amount
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — to be able to
  17. club — for dancing
  18. degree — from a university
  19. club — a group
  20. can — a tin
  21. degree — temperature
  22. scale — size or range
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. hide — to keep secret

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