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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: march · leaves · face · bass · staff · ruler · pitcher · stem

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. staff — employees
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stem — to come from
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. march — the month
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. march — music
  21. staff — employees
  22. face — to confront
  23. march — the month
  24. pitcher — a jug

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