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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: saw · stock · net · foot · lash · court · scale · ground

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. scale — in music
  3. net — in sport
  4. ground — crushed
  5. foot — a measure
  6. ground — a position
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. scale — size or range
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. court — for sport
  20. ground — the earth
  21. court — of a king
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stock — shares

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