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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: club · lash · foot · scale · jam · cell · pop · pass

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. scale — size or range
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. club — for golf
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pop — to visit
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pop — soda
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. club — a group
  17. pass — a permit
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pop — music
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. scale — in music

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