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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 · scale · rock · rash · arm · tube · stock · club

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. tube — a container
  3. scale — in music
  4. club — a group
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. lean — to bend
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lean — thin
  11. stock — goods
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. club — for golf
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stock — shares
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. scale — size or range
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rock — music

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