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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: roll · squash · bulb · track · scale · cue · shower · bass

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cue — a hint
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — a list
  5. bass — the fish
  6. shower — to wash
  7. scale — in music
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cue — for pool
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. squash — the sport
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. shower — rain
  21. track — a path
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bass — low 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