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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: face · scale · can · racket · cabinet · hand · bass · wake

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. face — part of the head
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. can — a tin
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bass — the fish
  11. hand — in cards
  12. face — to confront
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. scale — in music
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bass — low music
  19. hand — help
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wake — a trail
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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