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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. stock — goods
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. scale — size or range
  8. net — in sport
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bark — to shout
  12. scale — in music
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. key — in music
  17. net — after costs
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stock — shares
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mine — an explosive

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