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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. net — for catching
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pop — to visit
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. net — in sport
  11. capital — money
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pop — music
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bulb — for light
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pop — soda
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. snap — to click
  23. scale — in music
  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