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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: straw · scale · mark · bank · bulb · pop · plane · game

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. scale — in music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mark — a trace
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bank — for money
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bank — for money
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bank — of a river
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. game — a match
  19. scale — size or range
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mark — a grade
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bulb — for light
  24. plane — in geometry

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