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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.

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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: bass · coach · scale · craft · staff · branch · bound · sharp

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bass — the fish
  4. branch — a division
  5. scale — size or range
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bound — tied together
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. staff — employees
  11. bass — low music
  12. staff — employees
  13. bound — obliged
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. scale — in music
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bound — certain
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. craft — boats

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