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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.

Words on the sheet
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: spring · band · rash · scale · perch · foot · rock · race

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. race — a contest
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. race — humankind
  6. spring — a coil
  7. perch — the fish
  8. spring — the season
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. rash — a series
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. band — a ring
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. spring — of water
  18. scale — size or range
  19. band — a music group
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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