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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.

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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: board · stick · bank · ruler · cabinet · bass · staff · craft

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. staff — employees
  7. bass — low music
  8. board — to get on
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bank — for money
  11. board — a committee
  12. bass — the fish
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. craft — boats
  19. bank — for money
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bank — of a river
  22. staff — employees
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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