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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 · racket · cabinet · mark · bore · tube · scale · wave

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mark — a trace
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. scale — in music
  12. net — for catching
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. net — after costs
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. net — in sport
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. tube — a container
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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