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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rest — what's left
  6. can — a tin
  7. charge — in control
  8. wind — moving air
  9. scale — size or range
  10. charge — electricity
  11. drill — army training
  12. scale — in music
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rest — a break
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. net — after costs
  19. drill — the tool
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. land — a country
  22. charge — a price
  23. rest — what's left
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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