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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. scale — size or range
  3. net — in sport
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. track — a song
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bass — low music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bass — the fish
  12. net — after costs
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mine — for digging
  15. track — to keep track
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. net — for catching
  19. scale — in music
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. track — a path

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