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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: lean · nail · bass · net · cue · rest · charge · scale

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. charge — a price
  8. bass — the fish
  9. charge — in control
  10. rest — what's left
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cue — a hint
  13. scale — in music
  14. lean — thin
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bass — low music
  18. cue — a signal
  19. net — after costs
  20. rest — a break
  21. net — in sport
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. net — for catching
  24. lean — to rest against

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