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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.

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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: arm · pop · squash · deal · bark · racket · net · scale

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pop — music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. net — for catching
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. squash — to crush
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. net — after costs
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bark — to shout
  23. scale — in music
  24. net — in sport

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