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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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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 · scale · vault · drill · content · cell · firm · march

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. content — the amount
  3. scale — size or range
  4. drill — army training
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. firm — a company
  7. cell — in biology
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. march — the month
  11. drill — the tool
  12. cell — a phone
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. content — happy
  16. firm — decided
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. march — the month
  19. drill — a practice
  20. march — music
  21. chair — a leader
  22. vault — a safe
  23. firm — steady
  24. chair — to sit on

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