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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. net — for catching
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. club — for dancing
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. net — in sport
  9. drill — army training
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. club — a group
  14. net — after costs
  15. club — for golf
  16. scale — size or range
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. kid — child
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. drill — a practice
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. drill — the tool

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