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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: calf · stick · stand · scale · net · chair · clip · jam

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. chair — a leader
  3. net — in sport
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. clip — to cut
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stand — to bear
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. scale — for weighing

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