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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: ruler · bulb · chair · bark · fan · jam · fine · scale

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fine — high quality
  4. scale — in music
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fine — all right
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bulb — for light
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. jam — in traffic

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