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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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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: field · ball · scale · kick · net · ground · fine · pass

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pass — a permit
  3. scale — in music
  4. fine — all right
  5. field — farmland
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fine — high quality
  8. ground — a position
  9. field — for sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. net — for catching
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. kick — in football
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ground — crushed
  18. net — in sport
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. ball — a great time
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. field — a subject

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