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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: pitcher · foot · prune · bound · nail · roll · scale · band

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. roll — a list
  3. scale — in music
  4. bound — tied together
  5. band — a music group
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bound — certain
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bound — obliged
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. roll — a cake
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. foot — a measure
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. scale — size or range
  24. prune — to trim

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