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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cold — an illness
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. scale — in music
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bass — the fish
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. scale — size or range
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. hand — help
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. fine — all right
  24. net — after costs

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