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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: saw · mouse · pass · scale · fan · pop · kid · band

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pop — soda
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pop — to visit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pop — music
  12. band — a music group
  13. kid — child
  14. scale — in music
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. band — a ring
  20. kid — to tease
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fan — a supporter

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