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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 120 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: chair · scale · object · bat · drill · craft · present · bass

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bat — the animal
  3. drill — the tool
  4. object — a thing
  5. present — the time now
  6. drill — army training
  7. object — an aim
  8. bass — low music
  9. present — a gift
  10. scale — size or range
  11. craft — boats
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. object — to protest
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. present — there
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. drill — a practice
  22. scale — in music
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bass — the fish

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