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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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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: pound · cabinet · chair · toast · bowl · scale

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. scale — in music
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. scale — size or range
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. chair — a leader
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. toast — bread

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