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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: staff · ball · fine · race · spell · band · scale · sharp

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. staff — employees
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. race — a contest
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fine — high quality
  9. scale — in music
  10. band — a music group
  11. fine — all right
  12. spell — magic
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. race — the arms race
  16. spell — letters
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. spell — a short time
  19. band — a ring
  20. scale — size or range
  21. race — humankind
  22. staff — employees
  23. ball — a great time
  24. sharp — clever

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