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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cue — for pool
  3. chest — a box
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. net — after costs
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fall — the season
  8. net — in sport
  9. cue — a signal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cue — a hint
  14. track — a song
  15. foot — a measure
  16. net — for catching
  17. chest — of your body
  18. track — a path
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fall — to drop
  22. track — to keep track
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. racket — a loud noise

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