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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stand · bound · scale · wind · mouse · net · swing · cabinet

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bound — certain
  3. net — in sport
  4. scale — in music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. net — after costs
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. swing — in golf
  11. scale — size or range
  12. swing — music
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bound — obliged
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. net — for catching
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bound — tied together

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