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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.

Make a worksheet

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: content · bulb · ball · bay · arm · chair · scale · rush

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. ball — a dance
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. content — happy
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — the amount
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. ball — a great time
  11. scale — in music
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bulb — for light
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rush — hurry
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bulb — of a plant

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