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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. net — for catching
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mark — a grade
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ball — a dance
  16. row — a line
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mark — a trace
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rush — hurry
  24. row — to paddle

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