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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: scale · rash · net · mate · march · roll · band · suit

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. roll — a list
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mate — to breed
  5. net — in sport
  6. roll — a cake
  7. scale — size or range
  8. band — a ring
  9. rash — a series
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rash — hasty
  13. scale — in music
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. suit — to fit
  17. march — the month
  18. band — a music group
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — clothes
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. rash — on the skin

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