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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.

Make a worksheet

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: scale · bass · degree · hand · staff · leaves · charge · fan

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. charge — electricity
  3. scale — in music
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. charge — a price
  6. staff — employees
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. staff — employees
  9. charge — in control
  10. bass — the fish
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. degree — temperature
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bass — low music
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. degree — from a university
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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