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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: chip · deal · drill · jam · scale · bark · hide · sharp

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. scale — size or range
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. drill — army training
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. sharp — clever
  15. scale — in music
  16. drill — the tool
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. chip — for betting
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. drill — a practice
  24. sharp — with an edge

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