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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: bulb · scale · rock · rash · track · net · board · kid

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kid — child
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rock — a stone
  7. board — to get on
  8. track — a song
  9. rash — hasty
  10. net — for catching
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bulb — for light
  14. net — in sport
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. net — after costs
  19. scale — in music
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rash — a series
  22. track — a path
  23. rock — music
  24. board — a committee

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