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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: ball · trunk · face · club · rush · scale · chip · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. face — to confront
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. face — to point toward
  12. scale — in music
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. scale — size or range
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. club — a group
  20. rush — hurry
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. face — part of the head
  24. chip — to eat

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