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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
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: straw · hand · bass · scale · squash · bank · fork · charge

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. squash — the sport
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bank — for money
  5. scale — in music
  6. hand — in cards
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. charge — electricity
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. charge — a price
  16. hand — help
  17. bank — of a river
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fork — in a road
  20. charge — in control
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. bass — low music
  24. straw — dry grass

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