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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · scale · fan · staff · stick · rock

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. scale — in music
  3. staff — employees
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mine — for digging
  11. scale — size or range
  12. staff — employees
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rock — a stone

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