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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.

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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: temple · pit · deal · chair · mate · stand · scale · cell

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. chair — a leader
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. scale — in music
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mate — a partner
  19. scale — size or range
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stand — to bear

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