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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 120 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: hand · march · object · craft · mine · scale · dip · season

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. march — the month
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. craft — boats
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. scale — size or range
  8. object — an aim
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mine — for digging
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. season — of the year
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. hand — in cards
  17. object — to protest
  18. season — in sport
  19. march — music
  20. craft — a skill
  21. object — a thing
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. hand — help

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