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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 116 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: fan · ruler · bass · track · shower · scale · chair · fall

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. shower — to wash
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fall — to drop
  8. track — to keep track
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. track — a path
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fall — to drop
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fall — the season
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. shower — rain
  24. track — a song

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