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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: mine · ball · roll · rest · scale · foot · rock · shower

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ball — a dance
  5. shower — rain
  6. scale — size or range
  7. roll — a list
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. rock — music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. foot — a measure
  14. roll — a cake
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. scale — in music
  24. foot — part of the body

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