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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: row · nail · net · club · bass · foot · hide · scale

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. scale — size or range
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. net — in sport
  7. club — a group
  8. foot — a measure
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. net — after costs
  11. row — a line
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. club — for dancing
  14. row — to paddle
  15. club — for golf
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bass — the fish
  21. net — for catching
  22. bass — low music
  23. scale — in music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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