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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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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 · hand · prune · calf · pit · rock · toast

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. toast — bread
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. scale — size or range
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. chair — a leader
  17. prune — to trim
  18. scale — in music
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — 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