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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. net — in sport
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. net — for catching
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bass — the fish
  9. snap — to click
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bank — for money
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bank — for money
  20. net — after costs
  21. bass — low music
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. scale — in music
  24. ball — a round shape

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