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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 120 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 · shower · hide · ball · band · mark · stock · rock

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stock — shares
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. ball — a great time
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. scale — in music
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. scale — size or range
  14. band — a music group
  15. stock — goods
  16. band — a ring
  17. shower — to wash
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mark — a grade
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. shower — rain
  23. rock — music
  24. ball — a dance

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