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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. net — for catching
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. band — a ring
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. net — in sport
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. scale — size or range
  9. chip — to eat
  10. band — a music group
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stock — goods
  13. scale — in music
  14. stock — shares
  15. stand — to bear
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pound — a weight
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. band — a rubber band
  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