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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
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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: bowl · fine · pitcher · scale · rock · spell · bay · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. scale — size or range
  6. net — in sport
  7. spell — magic
  8. net — after costs
  9. rock — music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spell — letters
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. scale — in music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fine — all right
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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