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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: track · pitch · bank · jam · hand · bass · scale · plane

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bank — for money
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. scale — in music
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bass — low music
  19. track — a path
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. jam — in traffic

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