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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: scale · fan · game · temple · cell · toast · hand · chair

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. chair — a leader
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. scale — in music
  11. hand — help
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. cell — a phone
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. hand — in cards
  22. cell — in biology
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. temple — side of the head

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