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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: mate · hand · perch · press · rock · deal · scale · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. deal — to handle
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mate — a friend
  8. chair — a leader
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. scale — in music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. hand — help
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mate — a partner
  16. hand — in cards
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. press — to push
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mate — to breed
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rock — music
  24. perch — the fish

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