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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 120 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: rash · pitcher · temple · bass · mark · scale · leaves · deal

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. scale — in music
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mark — a trace

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