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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: chest · ruler · scale · bulb · net · ball · cabinet · fine

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fine — high quality
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. ball — a great time
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fine — all right
  10. chest — a box
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. net — in sport
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. scale — in music
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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