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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: stick · pitcher · race · lie · craft · scale · mark · staff

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. scale — in music
  5. staff — employees
  6. mark — a grade
  7. craft — a skill
  8. scale — size or range
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. race — humankind
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. staff — a stick
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lie — to recline
  21. craft — boats
  22. mark — a trace
  23. staff — employees
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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