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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: scale · fine · toast · hide · ground · roll · jam · chair

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. roll — a list
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fine — all right
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chair — a leader
  12. ground — the earth
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ground — crushed
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. fine — high quality
  23. roll — a cake
  24. ground — a position

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