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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: rock · tube · rash · perch · band · ball · nail · scale

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. tube — a container
  8. perch — the fish
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. scale — in music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ball — a great time
  19. band — a music group
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rash — hasty
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. band — a ring
  24. rash — a series

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