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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. net — after costs
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. craft — a skill
  6. net — for catching
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cue — a hint
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cue — for pool
  16. craft — boats
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wind — moving air
  19. scale — in music
  20. wind — moving air
  21. net — in sport
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wave — with your hand

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