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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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. scale — in music
  3. stock — goods
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. net — after costs
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. net — in sport
  10. fine — all right
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stock — shares
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. scale — size or range
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bark — to shout

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