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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 · bank · bulb · bat · nail · racket · can · tube

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. scale — in music
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bulb — for light
  9. scale — size or range
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. bulb — for light
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tube — a container
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bulb — of a plant

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