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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · tube · band · pass · prune · ruler · stock · scale

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. band — a music group
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stock — goods
  11. band — a ring
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. scale — in music
  14. stock — shares
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. tube — a container
  19. scale — size or range
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bowl — to roll

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