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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. net — in sport
  5. march — the month
  6. mark — a grade
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. deal — to handle
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. march — music
  13. mark — a trace
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bass — the fish
  16. march — the month
  17. scale — size or range
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. net — for catching
  21. scale — in music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bass — low music
  24. deal — a big deal

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