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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: chair · racket · press · scale · patient · board · band · ball

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. scale — in music
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. board — a committee
  10. band — a ring
  11. chair — a leader
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. band — a music group
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. board — to get on
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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