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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pound — a weight
  3. scale — in music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. scale — size or range
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. bass — the fish
  9. staff — employees
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bank — of a river
  14. race — humankind
  15. cell — a phone
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bank — for money
  18. fine — all right
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. staff — employees
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bank — for money
  24. bass — low music

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