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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 116 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: present · pitcher · lie · scale · hand · net · pop · race

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. present — a gift
  3. race — a contest
  4. present — there
  5. net — in sport
  6. pop — soda
  7. present — the time now
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. race — the arms race
  10. lie — to recline
  11. net — after costs
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. net — for catching
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pop — to visit
  17. hand — help
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — in music
  20. race — humankind
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pop — music
  24. scale — size or range

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