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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: scale · band · cabinet · rock · charge · cap · bear · bass

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bass — the fish
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. charge — in control
  5. bass — low music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. bear — the animal
  10. scale — in music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. charge — electricity
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. charge — a price
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rock — music
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bear — to put up with

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