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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rock — a stone
  9. dip — to sink
  10. club — for dancing
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. club — for golf
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. snap — to click
  15. scale — size or range
  16. net — after costs
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. club — a group
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rock — music

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