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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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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 · toast · fork · ruler · saw · bass · roll · jam

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. staff — employees
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. roll — a cake
  13. staff — employees
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fork — in a road
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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