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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: scale · hand · chair · firm · mug · nail · jam · net

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. mug — a face
  5. net — for catching
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chair — a leader
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. firm — steady
  11. hand — in cards
  12. net — after costs
  13. mug — to rob
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. hand — help
  16. mug — a cup
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. firm — a company
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. net — in sport
  22. firm — decided
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. hand — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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