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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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. lean — thin
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stock — shares
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stock — goods
  16. bat — the animal
  17. net — in sport
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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