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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: hand · cabinet · bound · rock · mine · bass · ball · scale

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bound — obliged
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rock — music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bass — low music
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bound — certain
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hand — in cards
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. hand — help

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