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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: drill · band · bulb · mug · fan · chair · ball · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mug — to rob
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. band — a music group
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. drill — the tool
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mug — a face
  14. scale — in music
  15. drill — army training
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mug — a cup
  18. band — a ring
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. drill — a practice
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fan — to cool the air

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