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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: scale · bound · kid · mine · stock · mouse · bore · net

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. net — for catching
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. stock — shares
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mine — for digging
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stock — goods
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. scale — size or range

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