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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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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: stem · straw · dip · sharp · pound · craft · scale · bowl

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. stem — to come from
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. sharp — clever
  9. scale — size or range
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. craft — boats
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. craft — a skill
  23. scale — in music
  24. pound — for dogs

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