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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: mark · tube · land · craft · net · kick · scale · racket

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mark — a grade
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. land — ground
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. tube — a container
  12. craft — boats
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. kick — in football
  15. mark — a trace
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. land — to come down
  21. net — for catching
  22. land — a country
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. racket — for tennis

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