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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: cabinet · scale · straw · roll · arm · pit · bank · bass

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bass — the fish
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. pit — a hole
  12. roll — a list
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. roll — a cake
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bass — low music
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. scale — in music

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