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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 116 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: hide · scale · chair · firm · present · club · rule · mate

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mate — to breed
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. scale — size or range
  9. firm — decided
  10. present — a gift
  11. mate — a friend
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rule — a law
  15. present — the time now
  16. rule — government
  17. present — there
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. scale — in music
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mate — a partner

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