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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: bass · band · row · staff · craft · rash · rock · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rash — a series
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. drill — army training
  5. bass — low music
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. staff — employees
  9. bass — the fish
  10. craft — boats
  11. rash — hasty
  12. band — a ring
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. staff — employees
  22. drill — a practice
  23. row — a line
  24. staff — a stick

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