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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 116 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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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: bulb · rash · sharp · wave · scale · racket · march · nail

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. march — the month
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. march — the month
  13. sharp — clever
  14. march — music
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. scale — in music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wave — of the sea

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