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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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: scale · cabinet · bear · present · kick · chair

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. 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. bear — the animal
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. present — there
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. kick — in football
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. scale — size or range
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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