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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.

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: bass · chair · spring · scale · bore · fork · bowl · rush

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. spring — of water
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bore — to drill
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. spring — the season
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. spring — a coil
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bore — to tire

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