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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: sharp · face · scale · club · spell · craft · prune · deal

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. deal — to handle
  4. club — a group
  5. spell — a short time
  6. club — for golf
  7. prune — to trim
  8. craft — a skill
  9. prune — to trim
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. sharp — clever
  14. scale — size or range
  15. craft — boats
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. face — to point toward
  19. spell — letters
  20. face — to confront
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. club — for dancing
  23. spell — magic
  24. face — part of the head

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