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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · ruler · staff · bass · roll · rash · bank · stick

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rash — hasty
  6. roll — a list
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. staff — employees
  9. bass — low music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — in music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bank — for money
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bank — for money
  21. roll — a cake
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rash — a series
  24. staff — employees

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