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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rash — a series
  3. file — a tool
  4. staff — a stick
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. file — a document
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pound — a weight
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. staff — employees
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. staff — employees
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. file — a line of people
  24. chair — a professorship

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