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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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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: club · scale · race · cell · mouse · firm

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. club — for golf
  5. firm — a company
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. firm — decided
  10. race — humankind
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. firm — steady
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. club — a group
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. club — for dancing

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