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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: pitcher · scale · craft · wound · bank · wake · bowl · bass

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. wound — an injury
  3. craft — boats
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bass — low music
  13. bank — for money
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bank — for money
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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