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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
468
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: row · dip · stick · can · land · scale · chair · band

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. row — a line
  4. band — a music group
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. band — a ring
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. dip — to sink
  10. land — a country
  11. scale — size or range
  12. row — to paddle
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — a leader
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. can — a tin
  18. scale — in music
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. land — ground

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