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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: dip · chip · leaves · kid · chair · pitcher · scale · content

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. dip — to sink
  3. chair — a leader
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. scale — size or range
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. kid — child
  8. content — happy
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. scale — in music
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. kid — to tease
  21. chip — to eat
  22. content — the amount
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pitcher — a jug

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