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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. tube — a container
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spell — magic
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bass — low music
  15. fork — in a road
  16. spell — letters
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. scale — in music
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. chair — a leader

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