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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. scale — in music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. kid — child
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. net — after costs
  13. kid — to tease
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. band — a music group
  19. pass — a permit
  20. saw — the tool
  21. net — in sport
  22. band — a ring
  23. saw — the tool
  24. scale — for weighing

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