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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 120 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: fan · bass · staff · bank · cabinet · bark · wave · court

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. staff — employees
  3. court — of law
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. staff — employees
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bank — for money
  10. bass — low music
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. staff — a stick
  16. court — of a king
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bank — for money
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. court — for sport
  24. bank — of a river

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