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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: band · spring · lie · pitcher · scale · roll · club · rash

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. spring — a coil
  4. lie — to recline
  5. band — a ring
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. spring — of water
  8. band — a music group
  9. rash — a series
  10. roll — a list
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. spring — the season
  13. club — for golf
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rash — hasty
  16. club — a group
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. club — for dancing
  22. roll — a cake
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. scale — for weighing

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