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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. track — a song
  4. scale — in music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. net — after costs
  7. track — a path
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mine — for digging
  10. net — in sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. scale — size or range
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. net — for catching
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. suit — in cards
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. suit — clothes
  22. track — to keep track
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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