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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: stick · rash · arm · bank · bay · bulb · content · scale

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bank — for money
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. content — the amount
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bulb — for light
  14. content — happy
  15. bank — for money
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. scale — in music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bulb — for light
  24. arm — part of the body

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