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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.

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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: foot · rush · club · scale · nail · chair · saw · suit

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. suit — in cards
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rush — hurry
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. club — for dancing
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chair — a leader
  16. suit — clothes
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for golf
  22. suit — to fit
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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