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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 120 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: scale · hand · board · mouse · fall · club · rule · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. board — a committee
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. club — a group
  5. fall — to drop
  6. club — for dancing
  7. scale — in music
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. board — to get on
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. rule — government
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rule — a law
  20. club — for golf
  21. hand — in cards
  22. fall — the season
  23. ball — a great time
  24. scale — size or range

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