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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: nail · cue · bass · scale · dip · can · mate · club

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. mate — a partner
  7. cue — for pool
  8. can — a tin
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mate — to breed
  16. can — to be able to
  17. club — for golf
  18. cue — a signal
  19. club — a group
  20. dip — to sink
  21. can — a tin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. club — for dancing
  24. nail — on a finger

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