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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. firm — steady
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. suit — in cards
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. land — a country
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. suit — to fit
  13. land — ground
  14. net — for catching
  15. land — to come down
  16. season — of the year
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. firm — decided
  20. suit — clothes
  21. firm — a company
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mark — a grade
  24. season — in sport

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