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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
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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: row · drill · rush · scale · tube · band · season · date

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. scale — in music
  2. row — a line
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. tube — a container
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. scale — size or range
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. drill — army training
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. rush — hurry
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. band — a ring
  14. date — the fruit
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. drill — a practice
  18. tube — the underground
  19. drill — the tool
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. row — to paddle
  23. rush — to hurry
  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