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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: pound · mug · rock · band · kid · mark · scale · file

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rock — music
  4. kid — child
  5. band — a ring
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. file — a tool
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. file — a document
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mug — a face
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mug — a cup
  24. band — a music group

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