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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. saw — the tool
  3. net — in sport
  4. bass — the fish
  5. march — the month
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. net — after costs
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. net — for catching
  11. spell — letters
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bass — low music
  16. march — music
  17. ground — a position
  18. saw — the tool
  19. firm — steady
  20. march — the month
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. firm — a company
  23. spell — a short time
  24. firm — decided

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