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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. bat — the animal
  7. scale — in music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. net — in sport
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. net — after costs
  19. suit — clothes
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. suit — to fit
  22. root — of a word
  23. suit — in cards
  24. net — for catching

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