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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.

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: march · racket · bay · mine · rule · trunk · net · scale

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. march — music
  9. net — in sport
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. scale — in music
  12. march — the month
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rule — government
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rule — a law
  19. march — the month
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. scale — size or range
  22. mine — for digging
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. net — for catching

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