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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: roll · scale · can · sharp · kid · mug · band · spell

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. can — a tin
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. spell — magic
  6. kid — to tease
  7. mug — a cup
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. kid — child
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. scale — in music
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mug — a face
  16. can — to be able to
  17. band — a music group
  18. spell — a short time
  19. sharp — clever
  20. roll — a list
  21. mug — to rob
  22. band — a ring
  23. can — a tin
  24. spell — letters

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