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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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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: bat · ball · snap · nail · bank · pass · scale · can

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bank — for money
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bank — for money
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. can — to be able to
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bat — the animal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bank — of a river
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. can — a tin
  22. ball — a dance
  23. snap — to click
  24. can — a tin

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