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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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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 · present · fall · club · bank · stand · file · scale

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. file — a document
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. file — a tool
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fall — to drop
  8. present — a gift
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. club — for golf
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. present — the time now
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bank — for money
  17. club — a group
  18. present — there
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. fall — the season
  21. stand — to bear
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bank — of a river

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