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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.

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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 · mark · march · bulb · foot · scale · ball · root

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. scale — in music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. net — in sport
  6. march — music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. net — for catching
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. root — of a word
  13. net — after costs
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. foot — a measure
  17. ball — a great time
  18. root — the cause
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bulb — for light

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