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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: fine · object · rush · net · saw · stock · scale · mark

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fine — high quality
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. stock — shares
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mark — a grade
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. net — in sport
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mark — a trace
  17. scale — size or range
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rush — hurry
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. object — to protest
  24. saw — the tool

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