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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: board · trunk · rule · scale · suit · lean · jam · bass

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bass — low music
  3. rule — a law
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. scale — size or range
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. board — to get on
  8. lean — thin
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. scale — in music
  14. suit — in cards
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rule — government
  24. lean — to bend

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