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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: firm · racket · scale · bound · land · net · fall · bank

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. scale — in music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bank — for money
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. firm — decided
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. firm — steady
  13. land — ground
  14. bank — for money
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. bank — of a river
  19. net — in sport
  20. firm — a company
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. land — to come down
  23. bound — tied together
  24. racket — for tennis

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