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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: rest · bulb · lean · band · bass · scale · rock · content

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. scale — in music
  5. band — a music group
  6. lean — thin
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. content — the amount
  10. band — a ring
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bass — the fish
  14. content — happy
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bass — low music
  18. rock — music
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rest — what's left

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