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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: net · nail · land · trunk · chair · scale · fall · pit

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. fall — to drop
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. net — in sport
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. land — to come down
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pit — in a race
  10. scale — in music
  11. net — after costs
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pit — a hole
  14. land — ground
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. land — a country
  19. fall — the season
  20. net — for catching
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fall — to drop
  24. scale — for weighing

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