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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: firm · lie · tear · scale · track · bank · bass · jam

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bank — of a river
  3. track — a path
  4. scale — in music
  5. bass — low music
  6. bank — for money
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bass — the fish
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. tear — from crying
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. track — a song
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tear — to rip
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bank — for money
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. firm — a company
  24. lie — an untruth

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