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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
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: bass · nail · fan · scale · bowl · wind · fall · date

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fall — the season
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bass — low music
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wind — moving air
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fall — to drop
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. nail — for a hammer

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