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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: nail · scale · wind · fine · rule · trunk · stick · chip

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. scale — size or range
  3. chip — to eat
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rule — a law
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — all right
  17. rule — government
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wind — moving air
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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