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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: bank · pitcher · rock · chair · fan · scale

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chair — a leader
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bank — of a river
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rock — music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bank — for money
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bank — for money
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fan — a supporter

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