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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.

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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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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: pop · racket · lie · pit · net · nail · scale · dip

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pop — to visit
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. lie — to recline
  6. dip — to sink
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pop — music
  9. scale — in music
  10. net — for catching
  11. pit — in a race
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. net — after costs
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. net — in sport
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pit — a hole
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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