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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. object — to protest
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. object — a thing
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. shower — to wash
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bat — the animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. net — in sport
  16. bear — the animal
  17. object — an aim
  18. net — for catching
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. net — after costs
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bear — the animal

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