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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.

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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: chair · spring · scale · can · rock · ball · stand · mouse

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. spring — a coil
  3. rock — music
  4. stand — to bear
  5. chair — a leader
  6. scale — size or range
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spring — the season
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. spring — of water
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. can — a tin
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stand — for spectators

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