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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: bank · field · bay · chair · trunk · drill · scale · ball

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a leader
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. field — a subject
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. ball — a great time
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. field — for sport
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bank — for money
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. drill — army training
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bank — of a river
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. field — farmland

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