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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 116 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: scale · stand · rush · pitcher · chair · chip · mate · snap

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. chair — a leader
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. scale — in music
  7. rush — hurry
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mate — to breed
  12. snap — to click
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mate — a partner
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chip — to eat
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. scale — size or range
  24. chair — a professorship

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