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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 124 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bound — obliged
  3. net — in sport
  4. saw — the tool
  5. net — after costs
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. drill — the tool
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. net — for catching
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spell — letters
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bound — tied together
  18. spell — magic
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bound — certain
  21. spell — a short time
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. scale — size or range

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