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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. firm — steady
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. net — after costs
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. firm — a company
  9. craft — boats
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pit — a hole
  12. scale — in music
  13. net — for catching
  14. pit — in a race
  15. clip — to cut
  16. firm — decided
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. net — in sport
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. craft — a skill
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. craft — a handicraft

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