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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.

Words on the sheet
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: ball · bear · trunk · scale · fine · content · hand · net

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. net — in sport
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. net — after costs
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. hand — help
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. content — happy
  14. ball — a great time
  15. net — for catching
  16. fine — all right
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. scale — in music
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bear — the animal
  23. content — the amount
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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