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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: scale · chair · stick · staff · patient · straw · suit · calf

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. suit — to fit
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. staff — employees
  15. scale — in music
  16. suit — in cards
  17. scale — size or range
  18. chair — a leader
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. staff — a stick
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. staff — employees

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