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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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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: pit · scale · cue · roll · chest · pound · net · racket

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. roll — a list
  6. net — after costs
  7. chest — a box
  8. roll — a cake
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cue — a signal
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cue — for pool
  13. net — in sport
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pound — a weight
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pit — a hole
  24. racket — for tennis

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