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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: board · staff · date · kid · bank · bay · bass · suit

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bass — low music
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. kid — to tease
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bank — for money
  8. kid — child
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bank — for money
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. staff — employees
  19. suit — to fit
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bank — of a river

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