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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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468
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: fine · stand · net · bat · racket · squash · scale · spell

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fine — high quality
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. net — for catching
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. net — in sport
  10. spell — letters
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. spell — magic
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. net — after costs
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. spell — a short time
  20. squash — to crush
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bat — the animal
  24. scale — size or range

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