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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: stick · pit · saw · can · net · scale · key · plane

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. can — a tin
  3. net — after costs
  4. can — a tin
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. can — to be able to
  10. saw — the tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. key — the most important part
  13. saw — the tool
  14. scale — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. plane — a tool
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. scale — for weighing

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