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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: game · scale · pass · cap · bowl · chair · stand · arm

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. chair — a leader
  3. cap — a lid
  4. scale — in music
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cap — of ice
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. game — a match
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pass — a permit
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. arm — part of the body

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