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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: board · bulb · bank · spell · foot · scale · rash · stick

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rash — a series
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. board — a committee
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rash — hasty
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bank — for money
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bank — for money
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. board — to get on
  19. spell — letters
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. spell — magic
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bank — of a river

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