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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. scale — in music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chair — a leader
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. net — after costs
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stock — shares
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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