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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: march · cabinet · ball · mark · net · arm · board · scale

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. board — to get on
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. net — for catching
  7. scale — in music
  8. ball — a great time
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mark — a trace
  13. scale — size or range
  14. net — in sport
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. march — music
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. march — the month
  23. net — after costs
  24. march — the month

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