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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. net — for catching
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. track — a song
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bass — low music
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rule — government
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rule — a law
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. net — after costs
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. net — in sport
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. track — a path
  24. temple — a place of worship

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