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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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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: leaves · ruler · chip · rest · scale · hide · club · land

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. club — for dancing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. land — ground
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. land — a country
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rest — what's left
  14. club — for golf
  15. rest — a break
  16. land — to come down
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. club — a group
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chip — for betting
  24. ruler — a monarch

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