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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. cue — a hint
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. club — a group
  6. face — to point toward
  7. net — after costs
  8. face — part of the head
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stand — to bear
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rash — hasty
  17. face — to confront
  18. net — in sport
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cue — a signal
  21. club — for golf
  22. scale — in music
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rash — a series

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