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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 116 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.

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: bay · net · wave · chair · bark · mouse · scale · band

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bark — to shout
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. band — a ring
  14. net — for catching
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. scale — in music
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. band — a music group
  21. scale — size or range
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wave — with your hand

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