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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: scale · fan · bay · net · craft · snap · toast · present

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. present — there
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. net — for catching
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. scale — in music
  10. craft — a skill
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. snap — to click
  16. craft — boats
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. net — in sport
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. net — after costs
  24. toast — bread

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