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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: bank · press · scale · ruler · date · bass · root · last

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. last — final
  3. last — finally
  4. scale — in music
  5. bank — for money
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bass — the fish
  10. press — to push
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. scale — size or range
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bank — for money
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bank — of a river
  20. root — the cause
  21. last — to go on
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bass — low music
  24. ruler — a monarch

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