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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: chair · pit · arm · scale · saw · bear · march · stand

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. scale — in music
  3. march — the month
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bear — the animal
  7. march — music
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. march — the month
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. saw — the tool
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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