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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · capital · bear · roll · pass · temple · chair · scale

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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. roll — a cake
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. capital — money
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bear — the animal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. roll — a list
  12. pass — a permit
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bear — the animal
  17. capital — a city
  18. scale — size or range
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. chair — to sit on
  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