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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wind · bass · cabinet · scale · chip · bark · land · roll

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. chip — for betting
  4. land — ground
  5. bark — to shout
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. roll — a list
  8. scale — size or range
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. land — to come down
  11. bass — the fish
  12. scale — in music
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bass — low music
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. land — a country
  24. bark — of a tree

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