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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: chair · rest · content · foot · band · bay · deal · scale

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. foot — a measure
  6. content — happy
  7. scale — size or range
  8. band — a ring
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rest — what's left
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. band — a music group
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. chair — a leader
  21. scale — in music
  22. content — the amount
  23. rest — a break
  24. chair — a professorship

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