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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: cap · craft · squash · saw · cell · mark · scale · dip

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. scale — in music
  4. squash — to crush
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. saw — the tool
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mark — a grade
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. craft — boats
  17. squash — the sport
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. saw — the tool
  22. dip — to sink
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cell — a phone

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