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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.

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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: mate · firm · deal · chair · scale · chest · tube · stick

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chest — of your body
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. chair — a leader
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. scale — in music
  9. firm — a company
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. firm — steady
  12. tube — a container
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. firm — decided
  20. deal — to handle
  21. chest — a box
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mate — a friend

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