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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: bulb · board · perch · band · scale · bass · mine · firm

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. perch — the fish
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bulb — for light
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. band — a ring
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. firm — steady
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. mine — for digging
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bass — low music
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bass — the fish
  20. band — a music group
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. bulb — for light

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