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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: stem · snap · scale · game · bowl · net · fan · tube

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. net — after costs
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. scale — size or range
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. tube — a container
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. net — for catching
  18. snap — to click
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. scale — in music

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