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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: cell · can · scale · roll · key · ball · rash · tube

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. scale — size or range
  3. can — a tin
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. key — the most important part
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. can — a tin
  10. tube — a container
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rash — hasty
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rash — a series
  19. can — to be able to
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. scale — in music
  24. cell — in biology

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