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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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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 · board · rash · bulb · bat · dip · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. scale — size or range
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rash — a series
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rash — hasty
  9. present — the time now
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. present — a gift
  20. board — to get on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. board — a committee
  24. scale — in music

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