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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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468
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: scale · wound · nail · content · mate · bulb · band · bank

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bank — for money
  4. content — happy
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bank — of a river
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bulb — for light
  12. content — the amount
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bank — for money
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mate — a friend
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. band — a music group
  20. mate — to breed
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wound — an injury
  24. band — a ring

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