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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 116 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: bowl · hide · bulb · net · rock · dip · march · scale

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. net — in sport
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rock — music
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. net — for catching
  15. march — music
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. scale — in music
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rock — a stone
  22. net — after costs
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bulb — for light

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