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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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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: row · trunk · suit · chest · fall · scale · board · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. suit — in cards
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. row — a line
  10. chest — of your body
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. board — a committee
  13. chest — of your body
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fall — the season
  16. chest — a box
  17. fall — to drop
  18. suit — to fit
  19. row — to paddle
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. suit — clothes
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fall — to drop
  24. board — to get on

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