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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
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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: present · scale · key · field · chair · suit · wind · dip

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. field — farmland
  4. key — the most important part
  5. chair — a leader
  6. scale — in music
  7. suit — clothes
  8. field — a subject
  9. suit — in cards
  10. key — for a lock
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. field — for sport
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. scale — size or range
  16. suit — to fit
  17. present — the time now
  18. key — in music
  19. present — a gift
  20. wind — moving air
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chair — a professorship

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