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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.

Make a worksheet

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: object · net · wind · pitcher · fork · hand · scale · rule

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fork — in a road
  5. net — for catching
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rule — government
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rule — a law
  11. object — an aim
  12. hand — in cards
  13. net — in sport
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. object — a thing
  17. scale — in music
  18. object — to protest
  19. hand — help
  20. net — after costs
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wind — moving air

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