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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: key · racket · kick · net · row · bear · fine · scale

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bear — the animal
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. net — in sport
  5. kick — in football
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bear — the animal
  8. scale — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. row — a line
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. row — to paddle
  15. net — for catching
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. fine — all right
  18. scale — size or range
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. net — after costs
  24. row — a quarrel

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