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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.

Words on the sheet
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: track · cabinet · hand · scale · mouse · rash · roll · tube

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. roll — a list
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. roll — a cake
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. scale — size or range
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. track — a song
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. tube — a container
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. roll — on a roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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