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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: net · fall · roll · scale · racket · wind · craft · saw

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. saw — the tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. net — after costs
  6. craft — boats
  7. fall — the season
  8. net — in sport
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. scale — in music
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — a cake
  13. saw — the tool
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. craft — a skill
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fall — to drop
  22. scale — size or range
  23. net — for catching
  24. fall — to drop

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