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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. band — a ring
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. band — a music group
  12. root — the cause
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. squash — to crush
  21. net — in sport
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. scale — in music
  24. squash — the vegetable

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