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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
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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: rush · staff · board · leaves · march · net · scale · bay

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. net — in sport
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. staff — employees
  7. rush — hurry
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. march — music
  12. staff — employees
  13. board — to get on
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. net — for catching
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. board — a committee
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. scale — size or range
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. net — after costs
  24. rush — a thrill

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