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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: dip · foot · rash · bulb · pop · pound · fan · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rash — a series
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pound — a weight
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pop — music
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bulb — for light
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pop — soda
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. dip — to sink

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