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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
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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: trunk · race · suit · scale · cold · object · foot · net

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. object — to protest
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cold — not warm
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. scale — in music
  7. race — humankind
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. object — an aim
  13. net — after costs
  14. scale — size or range
  15. foot — a measure
  16. net — in sport
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cold — an illness
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. race — the arms race
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. net — for catching
  23. object — a thing
  24. suit — to fit

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