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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. scale — in music
  7. mark — a grade
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. key — for a lock
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mate — a friend
  12. key — in music
  13. mark — a trace
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. spell — magic
  17. mate — a partner
  18. key — the most important part
  19. spell — letters
  20. net — in sport
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. spell — a short time

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