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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
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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: mug · scale · firm · face · chair · ball · game · tube

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. tube — the underground
  3. firm — decided
  4. game — wild animals
  5. firm — a company
  6. face — to confront
  7. mug — to rob
  8. face — to point toward
  9. scale — size or range
  10. ball — a great time
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. firm — steady
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mug — a face
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mug — a cup
  19. ball — a dance
  20. tube — a container
  21. face — part of the head
  22. game — a match
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. scale — in music

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