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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.

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: pitcher · bowl · hand · chair · scale · bay · deal · jam

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. scale — size or range
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. scale — in music
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. chair — a leader
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  24. chair — to sit on

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