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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: swing · net · band · nail · staff · lie · scale · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. net — in sport
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. staff — employees
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. swing — music
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. swing — to play on
  11. band — a ring
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lie — to recline
  15. scale — size or range
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. band — a music group
  22. scale — in music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. lie — an untruth

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