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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fine — all right
  3. object — to protest
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. file — a document
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. file — a tool
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. fine — high quality
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. object — a thing
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. file — a line of people
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. object — an aim
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. chair — a leader
  22. scale — in music
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chair — to sit on

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