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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. scale — in music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. scale — size or range
  9. craft — boats
  10. band — a music group
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bulb — for light
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spell — letters
  23. craft — a skill
  24. band — a ring

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