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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
468
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: tube · scale · lean · shower · club · fine · object · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. scale — size or range
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. object — a thing
  5. club — a group
  6. scale — in music
  7. cell — a phone
  8. fine — high quality
  9. object — to protest
  10. fine — all right
  11. club — for dancing
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. club — for golf
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. shower — to wash
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. shower — rain
  19. object — an aim
  20. cell — in biology
  21. tube — a container
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. tube — the underground
  24. fine — a penalty

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