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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. scale — in music
  5. net — in sport
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pop — music
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pass — a permit
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pop — soda
  24. scale — for weighing

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