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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 124 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. scale — in music
  4. object — an aim
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mark — a trace
  10. net — in sport
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. mark — a grade
  14. object — to protest
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. object — a thing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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