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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
468
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: scale · racket · stick · cabinet · bear · hand · leaves · foot

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. hand — help
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bear — the animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bear — the animal
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. foot — a measure
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. hand — part of the body

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