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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: bulb · scale · spell · chair · pitch · band · straw · can

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. band — a music group
  4. spell — magic
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. scale — in music
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bulb — for light
  17. can — a tin
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pitch — completely
  22. can — a tin
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. band — a ring

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