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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. scale — in music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. court — of a king
  9. last — to go on
  10. wind — moving air
  11. club — for dancing
  12. staff — employees
  13. last — finally
  14. court — of law
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. last — final
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. board — a committee
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. court — for sport
  24. board — to get on

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