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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: plane · row · bass · net · rash · scale · object · fork

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. object — an aim
  3. bass — the fish
  4. net — for catching
  5. object — to protest
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. row — a line
  14. net — after costs
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. net — in sport
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rash — a series
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bass — low music
  22. rash — hasty
  23. object — a thing
  24. scale — in music

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