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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · land · scale · last · bass · mouse · stick · bark

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. bark — to shout
  5. scale — in music
  6. last — to go on
  7. bass — low music
  8. land — to come down
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bank — for money
  13. scale — size or range
  14. land — ground
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. land — a country
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. scale — for weighing

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