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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. scale — in music
  6. net — after costs
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. key — for a lock
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. toast — bread
  14. saw — the tool
  15. key — the most important part
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. net — in sport
  19. key — in music
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. saw — the tool
  23. scale — size or range
  24. arm — part of the body

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