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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. net — in sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — to bear
  6. net — for catching
  7. scale — in music
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. net — after costs
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mark — a trace
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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