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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: tube · bass · bank · wind · ball · scale · cell · ruler

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. tube — the underground
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bank — for money
  8. scale — in music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cell — in biology
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bank — of a river
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. tube — a container
  19. cell — a phone
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bank — for money
  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