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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: staff · mine · bank · mate · scale · bark · pitcher · wave

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. staff — employees
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. staff — a stick
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. staff — employees
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bank — for money
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bank — for money
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mate — a partner
  21. scale — in music
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bark — of a tree

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