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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: arm · ball · tube · mark · bass · game · cell · scale

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. game — a match
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bass — low music
  13. tube — a container
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. game — wild animals
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bass — the fish
  23. ball — a great time
  24. scale — in music

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