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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · swing · fall · rule · chip · drill · scale · toast

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. drill — the tool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. drill — army training
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. scale — in music
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. scale — size or range
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chip — to eat
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. firm — a company
  14. swing — music
  15. rule — a law
  16. chip — for betting
  17. toast — bread
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. swing — to play on
  23. fall — the season
  24. swing — in golf

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