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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: pit · club · scale · fall · deal · roll · net · bulb

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. scale — in music
  3. deal — to handle
  4. roll — a cake
  5. net — for catching
  6. roll — a list
  7. net — in sport
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fall — to drop
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. scale — size or range
  21. fall — the season
  22. pit — a hole
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. net — after costs

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