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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: bark · tube · scale · net · date · key · bowl · cell

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. scale — in music
  4. key — in music
  5. bark — to shout
  6. cell — a phone
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cell — in biology
  21. key — the most important part
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. tube — a container

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