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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: temple · chip · wind · scale · pitcher · nail · club · toast

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. scale — in music
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wind — moving air
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wind — moving air
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. scale — size or range
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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