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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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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: scale · fork · kid · snap · lash · cabinet · band · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. scale — in music
  3. kid — to tease
  4. fork — in a road
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. snap — to click
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. band — a music group
  14. scale — size or range
  15. kid — child
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stock — shares
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. band — a ring

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