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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: foot · rash · charge · bound · scale · prune · band · bat

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. scale — size or range
  5. prune — to trim
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bound — obliged
  9. scale — in music
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. charge — in control
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. band — a ring
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. band — a music group
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. charge — a price

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