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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: field · file · present · rest · net · scale · fine · bear

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. present — a gift
  3. rest — a break
  4. fine — high quality
  5. present — there
  6. field — a subject
  7. file — a document
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. file — a tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. present — the time now
  12. rest — what's left
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. fine — all right
  16. rest — what's left
  17. field — for sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. field — farmland
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bear — the animal
  23. file — a line of people
  24. scale — in music

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