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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. net — after costs
  3. rock — music
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. scale — in music
  6. net — for catching
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wind — moving air
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. board — to get on
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. net — in sport
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. board — a committee
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rock — a stone
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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