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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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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bound — certain
  4. scale — in music
  5. net — for catching
  6. bass — the fish
  7. scale — size or range
  8. net — after costs
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bass — low music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. net — in sport
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bound — obliged
  24. fan — a supporter

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