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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: chair · bowl · track · spell · scale · ground · lie · bank

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bank — for money
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. spell — magic
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bank — for money
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. track — a path
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bank — of a river
  16. lie — to recline
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. scale — size or range
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. track — a song
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. scale — for weighing

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