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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: object · fall · ground · tube · mate · club · chip · scale

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fall — to drop
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. fall — to drop
  6. ground — a position
  7. tube — the underground
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. ground — the earth
  10. chip — to eat
  11. object — to protest
  12. club — for dancing
  13. fall — the season
  14. ground — crushed
  15. chip — for betting
  16. tube — a container
  17. mate — to breed
  18. object — an aim
  19. scale — size or range
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. object — a thing
  24. mate — a partner

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