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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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: row · scale · spring · drill · net · fan · stock · degree

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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 — for catching
  2. scale — size or range
  3. net — after costs
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stock — shares
  6. spring — the season
  7. drill — a practice
  8. spring — a coil
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. row — a line
  16. degree — temperature
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stock — goods
  19. spring — of water
  20. degree — from a university
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. net — in sport
  24. scale — in music

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