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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. staff — employees
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. club — for golf
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rule — a law
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. club — for dancing
  13. hand — help
  14. scale — in music
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. staff — employees
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bat — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. scale — size or range
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. club — a group
  24. rule — government

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