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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mate — to breed
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. net — after costs
  5. bass — the fish
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. net — for catching
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. net — in sport
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. scale — in music
  24. mate — a friend

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