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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. drill — army training
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. wind — moving air
  8. net — for catching
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. scale — in music
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. drill — the tool
  21. net — in sport
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stand — for spectators

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