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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: key · rush · stand · scale · chair · saw · mouse · foot

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. scale — size or range
  6. key — in music
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stand — to bear
  12. foot — a measure
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. chair — a leader
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. key — for a lock
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. scale — in 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