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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: bat · ruler · chair · fall · jam · pass · scale · date

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pass — a permit
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. chair — a leader
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. scale — size or range
  14. fall — to drop
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. scale — in music
  17. date — the fruit
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bat — the animal
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fall — the season

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