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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.

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: cabinet · scale · court · chip · row · field · drill · pound

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. drill — the tool
  5. court — of a king
  6. drill — a practice
  7. scale — in music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. row — a line
  10. court — for sport
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. court — of law
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. scale — size or range
  17. chip — to eat
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. field — farmland
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. drill — army training
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pound — for dogs

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