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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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: staff · scale · pass · jam · mine · racket · bowl · board

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. staff — employees
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. staff — employees
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. board — to get on
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. staff — a stick
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. scale — size or range
  24. board — a committee

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