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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. rule — a law
  3. pass — a permit
  4. scale — size or range
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bass — low music
  7. scale — in music
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. branch — a division
  10. rule — government
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. staff — employees
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. shower — rain
  23. staff — employees
  24. chair — a leader

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