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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bank · staff · chair · scale · present · wave

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. present — a gift
  3. staff — employees
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. present — there
  11. scale — in music
  12. bank — for money
  13. present — the time now
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bank — for money

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