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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
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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: scale · pop · net · chest · board · nail · ground · saw

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chest — of your body
  6. net — for catching
  7. scale — in music
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. ground — a position
  10. scale — size or range
  11. chest — a box
  12. board — to get on
  13. ground — crushed
  14. net — after costs
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chest — of your body
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pop — music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. net — in sport
  22. board — a committee
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ground — the earth

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