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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mark — a grade
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. net — for catching
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. scale — in music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. net — after costs
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mark — a trace
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. net — in sport
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. scale — size or range

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