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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: scale · bound · stand · fan · saw · game · mark · bass

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. game — a match
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bass — low music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bound — tied together
  15. game — wild animals
  16. stand — to bear
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bass — the fish
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bound — certain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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