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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: net · wound · pit · bear · firm · track · scale · bowl

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. firm — a company
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. firm — steady
  5. track — a song
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. net — for catching
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. firm — decided
  21. track — a path
  22. net — in sport
  23. scale — in music
  24. net — after costs

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