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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
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 · mine · lash · foot · chair · net · racket · wound

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. net — in sport
  6. wound — an injury
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wound — an injury
  12. net — for catching
  13. scale — in music
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. scale — size or range
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mine — for digging
  24. net — after costs

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