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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
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: scale · bay · can · chip · toast · mine · roll · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. chip — to eat
  7. roll — a list
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. can — a tin
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. toast — bread
  19. scale — in music
  20. roll — a cake
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mine — for digging

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