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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fine — high quality
  3. spell — magic
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spell — a short time
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. scale — in music
  9. fine — all right
  10. suit — to fit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. march — the month
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. spell — letters
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. march — music
  18. net — after costs
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. net — in sport
  23. march — the month
  24. suit — in cards

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