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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. net — for catching
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. roll — a list
  5. band — a music group
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. last — final
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. band — a ring
  11. roll — a cake
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. net — after costs
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — finally
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. firm — a company
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. firm — decided
  22. net — in sport
  23. scale — in music
  24. firm — steady

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