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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bowl · scale · cap · bank · trunk · row · game · mouse

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. scale — size or range
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bank — for money
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. game — a match
  16. bank — of a river
  17. game — wild animals
  18. row — a line
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. row — to paddle
  22. scale — in music
  23. bank — for money
  24. row — a quarrel

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