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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. can — a tin
  3. scale — in music
  4. net — for catching
  5. race — the arms race
  6. land — a country
  7. chest — of your body
  8. race — a contest
  9. chest — of your body
  10. scale — size or range
  11. land — ground
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. board — a committee
  16. chest — a box
  17. board — to get on
  18. land — to come down
  19. race — humankind
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. net — in sport
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rock — music
  24. net — after costs

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