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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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. scale — size or range
  4. club — for dancing
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fall — the season
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fine — all right
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fall — to drop
  14. net — after costs
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. club — a group
  22. fine — high quality
  23. club — for golf
  24. prune — to trim

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