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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.

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: net · calf · mouse · root · march · game · key · scale

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. march — music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. root — the cause
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. net — for catching
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. root — of a plant
  10. net — in sport
  11. march — the month
  12. root — of a word
  13. game — a match
  14. march — the month
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. scale — in music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. key — for a lock
  24. scale — for weighing

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