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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: kid · racket · scale · ground · cabinet · face · fine · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. kick — in football
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. face — to confront
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. scale — in music
  11. face — part of the head
  12. kid — child
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. fine — all right
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ground — crushed
  22. fine — high quality
  23. kid — to tease
  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