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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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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: net · bore · mark · scale · ground · arm · fan · sharp

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. ground — a position
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bore — to tire
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. scale — in music
  12. bore — to drill
  13. net — for catching
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. net — after costs
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. scale — size or range
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. sharp — clever
  24. arm — a part of something

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