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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 120 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: wake · chair · scale · object · pit · suit · spring · board

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pit — a hole
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. object — to protest
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. scale — size or range
  7. suit — in cards
  8. object — a thing
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. spring — of water
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wake — a trail
  17. spring — the season
  18. scale — in music
  19. board — to get on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. object — an aim
  24. board — a committee

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