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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: stock · band · scale · bowl · can · plane · mine · lash

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. band — a ring
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. scale — in music
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mine — for digging
  9. stock — shares
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. scale — size or range
  12. can — a tin
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. band — a music group
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. stock — goods
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. can — a tin
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. plane — a tool

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