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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · fan · chair · fine · scale · spell · stick · content

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fine — high quality
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. spell — letters
  10. mark — a grade
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. chair — a leader
  15. spell — magic
  16. content — the amount
  17. scale — size or range
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. scale — in music
  21. fine — all right
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mark — a trace

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