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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kick · scale · chair · rash · land · object · fall · racket

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. scale — in music
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. object — an aim
  16. land — to come down
  17. scale — size or range
  18. kick — in football
  19. object — a thing
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. object — to protest
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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