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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 120 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: mouse · nail · game · row · band · object · pass · scale

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. band — a music group
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pass — a permit
  16. object — an aim
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. band — a ring
  21. object — to protest
  22. row — a line
  23. scale — in music
  24. row — to paddle

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