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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: current · march · net · scale · arm · lie · root · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. root — of a plant
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lie — to recline
  5. net — after costs
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. scale — in music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. current — happening now
  11. root — the cause
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. current — of water
  18. march — the month
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. scale — size or range
  22. root — of a word
  23. current — electric
  24. lie — an untruth

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