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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: lean · sharp · scale · net · bat · bowl · perch · bass

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. net — in sport
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bat — the animal
  12. scale — in music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. net — after costs
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. net — for catching
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. lean — to bend
  20. sharp — clever
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bat — in an idiom

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