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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · staff · bay · scale · mark · mate · clip · suit

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. clip — to cut
  3. net — after costs
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mate — a friend
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mate — to breed
  11. staff — a stick
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. staff — employees
  15. mark — a trace
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. net — for catching
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. scale — in music
  21. clip — a video
  22. staff — employees
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mate — a partner

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