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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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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: bowl · mouse · mark · chest · chair · scale · bay · wind

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mark — a trace
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. scale — in music
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mouse — the animal

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