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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: bank · net · ground · kick · scale · craft

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ground — the earth
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. kick — in football
  5. craft — a skill
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. craft — boats
  10. net — after costs
  11. ground — a position
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. scale — in music
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bank — for money
  18. ground — crushed

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