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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: pound · scale · wake · kid · leaves · bass · firm · mouse

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. kid — child
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. firm — steady
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. firm — a company
  15. scale — in music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. kid — to tease
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bass — the fish
  20. firm — decided
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bass — low music

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