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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. net — in sport
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. net — after costs
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wind — moving air
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. net — for catching
  17. saw — the tool
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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