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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: scale · land · craft · lash · foot · roll · dip · track

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. scale — in music
  3. land — ground
  4. roll — a list
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. track — a path
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. foot — a measure
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. scale — size or range
  13. track — to keep track
  14. land — a country
  15. dip — to sink
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. land — to come down
  20. track — a song
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. craft — boats

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