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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: temple · nail · scale · land · rush · bulb · mouse · fine

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. scale — in music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. land — ground
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fine — all right
  13. land — a country
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. land — to come down
  19. bulb — for light
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. scale — size or range

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