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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: dip · board · foot · bass · suit · kid · cell · scale

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. kid — child
  4. bass — the fish
  5. board — to get on
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. scale — in music
  9. cell — in biology
  10. dip — to sink
  11. suit — to fit
  12. scale — size or range
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. board — a committee
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bass — low music
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. kid — to tease
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. cell — in a prison

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