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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 116 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: scale · bat · firm · cabinet · net · calf · fan · object

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. scale — size or range
  3. net — after costs
  4. firm — a company
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. firm — decided
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. object — a thing
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. scale — in music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. object — an aim
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. object — to protest
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. firm — steady
  24. scale — for weighing

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