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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. net — after costs
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. net — in sport
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitch — completely
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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