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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: chair · ball · suit · branch · wax · spell · scale · chip

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. spell — magic
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. scale — size or range
  6. ball — a great time
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. spell — letters
  12. chip — to eat
  13. branch — a division
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wax — to grow
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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