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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.

Make a worksheet

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: date · roll · suit · bowl · chair · scale · last · chest

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. suit — clothes
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a cake
  10. suit — to fit
  11. last — to go on
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. chest — of your body
  14. last — finally
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. date — the fruit
  20. last — final
  21. scale — size or range
  22. roll — a list
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. suit — in cards

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