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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · stem · scale · land · object · pop · mine · fine

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. net — after costs
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. object — an aim
  6. net — for catching
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. land — ground
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. land — to come down
  14. scale — size or range
  15. object — to protest
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pop — music
  18. net — in sport
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pop — to visit
  21. land — a country
  22. stem — to come from
  23. fine — all right
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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