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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: bass · scale · wound · cue · present · pound · game · lash

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. present — the time now
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bass — the fish
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bass — low music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. cue — a hint
  19. present — there
  20. pound — a weight
  21. game — a match
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. present — a gift

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