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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 116 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: row · ball · net · mark · cabinet · spring · branch · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. ball — a dance
  8. spring — the season
  9. row — a line
  10. scale — in music
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. ball — a great time
  14. spring — a coil
  15. net — after costs
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. spring — of water
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. row — to paddle
  24. cabinet — ministers

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