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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.

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: bat · pop · chair · ruler · cabinet · club · scale · stand

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pop — soda
  6. club — for golf
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. club — for dancing
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pop — music
  18. bat — the animal
  19. club — a group
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bat — for baseball
  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