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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 120 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
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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 · track · last · scale · racket · bay · saw · deal

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. last — to go on
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. track — a song
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. scale — in music
  16. last — final
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. scale — size or range
  19. track — a path
  20. deal — to handle
  21. track — to keep track
  22. net — after costs
  23. last — finally
  24. saw — the tool

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