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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: spell · scale · racket · bank · staff · bass · clip · game

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. staff — employees
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bass — low music
  8. spell — letters
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bank — for money
  12. spell — a short time
  13. scale — size or range
  14. staff — employees
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. scale — in music
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. spell — magic
  20. bank — for money
  21. clip — a video
  22. staff — a stick
  23. clip — to cut
  24. game — a match

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