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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · bay · cell · stick · spell · scale · bat · net

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. net — after costs
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. scale — size or range
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spell — letters
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. spell — a short time
  15. net — for catching
  16. spell — magic
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. scale — in music
  19. bat — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. net — in sport
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. scale — for weighing

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