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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 · ground · wound · scale · file · object · rock · board

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rock — music
  6. board — a committee
  7. net — after costs
  8. file — a document
  9. object — an aim
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. net — in sport
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — a thing
  14. file — a tool
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. ground — crushed
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. file — a line of people
  22. net — for catching
  23. scale — in music
  24. ground — a position

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