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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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. net — for catching
  3. object — a thing
  4. lie — to recline
  5. object — to protest
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. net — in sport
  8. spell — magic
  9. kid — to tease
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. spell — a short time
  16. net — after costs
  17. chair — a leader
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. scale — size or range
  21. object — an aim
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. spell — letters

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