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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: pop · fan · roll · leaves · bear · rest · mouse · scale

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rest — a break
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pop — soda
  15. roll — a list
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. scale — in music
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pop — to visit
  24. roll — on a roll

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