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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. spell — letters
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bear — the animal
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. spell — magic
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. scale — in music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. date — the fruit
  24. scale — size or range

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