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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 · craft · pop · key · spring · pit · stand · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. stand — to bear
  3. spring — of water
  4. pit — in a race
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. key — in music
  9. pop — music
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. scale — size or range
  13. key — the most important part
  14. craft — a skill
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pop — to visit
  17. net — for catching
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. spring — the season
  21. craft — boats
  22. pit — a hole
  23. spring — a coil
  24. pop — soda

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