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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: bore · nail · scale · deal · chair · mark · dip · court

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bore — to tire
  4. court — of law
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mark — a grade
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mark — a trace
  9. scale — size or range
  10. court — of a king
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. court — for sport
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. scale — in music
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. deal — to handle
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. dip — to dunk

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