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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. net — after costs
  5. firm — a company
  6. mark — a grade
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bat — the animal
  9. firm — decided
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. net — for catching
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. net — in sport
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. firm — steady
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

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