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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: branch · scale · deal · spring · ball · net · cabinet · nail

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. scale — in music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. spring — a coil
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. branch — a division
  14. net — for catching
  15. ball — a great time
  16. net — in sport
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. scale — size or range
  22. net — after costs
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. scale — for weighing

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