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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 116 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: track · staff · saw · bass · scale · lash · deal · field

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. track — a path
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. staff — a stick
  5. field — a subject
  6. saw — the tool
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. field — for sport
  10. bass — low music
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. track — to keep track
  14. field — farmland
  15. staff — employees
  16. deal — to handle
  17. track — a song
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. scale — size or range
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. scale — in music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bass — the instrument

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