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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 120 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: pit · dip · land · bass · chair · trunk · file · scale

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. dip — to sink
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bass — the fish
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. file — a document
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. scale — size or range
  14. file — a line of people
  15. land — to come down
  16. pit — in a race
  17. file — a tool
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. land — a country
  21. bass — low music
  22. scale — in music
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. land — ground

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