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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: bay · scale · object · cell · jam · club · saw · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. club — for golf
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. object — an aim
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. cell — a phone
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. scale — in music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chair — a leader
  11. object — a thing
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. club — for dancing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. club — a group
  19. object — to protest
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cell — in a prison

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