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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. net — for catching
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. net — in sport
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. scale — size or range
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. club — for golf
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. court — of law
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. saw — the tool
  22. net — after costs
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. scale — in music

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