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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.

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: toast · chair · object · arm · scale · spring · current · firm

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. firm — steady
  3. chair — a leader
  4. current — happening now
  5. object — to protest
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. spring — of water
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. spring — a coil
  11. toast — bread
  12. scale — size or range
  13. firm — a company
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. object — a thing
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. object — an aim
  21. firm — decided
  22. scale — in music
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — to sit on

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