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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 · season · staff · bass · file · field · plane · ruler

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. staff — employees
  7. field — for sport
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. file — a document
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. file — a line of people
  13. season — in sport
  14. plane — a tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. staff — a stick
  18. season — of the year
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. scale — in music
  22. file — a tool
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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