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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: mark · bear · tube · band · perch · pass · scale · hand

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. scale — in music
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. band — a ring
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. hand — help
  23. band — a music group
  24. mark — a trace

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