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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: ruler · cabinet · arm · march · fan · firm · bass · staff

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. march — the month
  3. firm — a company
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. staff — employees
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. firm — decided
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. march — music
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bass — the fish
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. march — the month
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bass — low music
  24. fan — a supporter

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