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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. scale — size or range
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. roll — a cake
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. scale — in music
  7. club — a group
  8. fall — to drop
  9. staff — employees
  10. fall — the season
  11. roll — a list
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. chip — to eat
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. club — for dancing
  20. chip — for betting
  21. club — for golf
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. staff — employees

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