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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: scale · pop · object · court · bulb · rash · file · stem

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pop — music
  7. object — to protest
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. file — a document
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. object — an aim
  12. court — of law
  13. bulb — for light
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. court — of a king
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. court — for sport
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. object — a thing
  24. scale — for weighing

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