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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.

Make a worksheet

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: present · arm · scale · chair · spell · court · saw · bank

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. court — of law
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. court — of a king
  5. scale — size or range
  6. spell — a short time
  7. present — there
  8. spell — magic
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bank — for money
  11. spell — letters
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bank — of a river
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. court — for sport
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. scale — in music
  21. bank — for money
  22. present — the time now
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chair — a professorship

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