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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: fan · degree · foot · ruler · straw · bank · scale · bass

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. scale — size or range
  5. degree — from a university
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. degree — temperature
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bank — of a river
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. degree — an amount
  15. scale — in music
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bass — low music
  21. bank — for money
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. scale — for weighing

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