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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 120 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: net · hide · root · pitch · bound · calf · track · scale

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. net — for catching
  5. scale — in music
  6. net — in sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. root — the cause
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. track — a song
  12. scale — size or range
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bound — obliged
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. track — a path
  22. root — of a plant
  23. track — to keep track
  24. root — of a word

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