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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: cabinet · bark · can · bore · rash · scale · bowl · band

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. can — a tin
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. band — a ring
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. scale — size or range
  10. can — a tin
  11. rash — a series
  12. bark — to shout
  13. band — a music group
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. can — to be able to
  20. scale — in music
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. scale — for weighing

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