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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: staff · mine · toast · rash · bass · scale · wake · chair

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. staff — employees
  3. bass — the fish
  4. scale — in music
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. scale — size or range
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. staff — a stick
  20. toast — bread
  21. mine — for digging
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bass — low music
  24. staff — employees

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