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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. net — after costs
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. staff — employees
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. net — for catching
  8. plane — a tool
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. saw — the tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. scale — in music
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pop — music
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. staff — employees
  17. net — in sport
  18. pass — a permit
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pop — to visit
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pop — soda

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