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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: cabinet · chip · drill · squash · scale · game · nail · court

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chip — for betting
  5. scale — in music
  6. squash — to crush
  7. court — of law
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. scale — size or range
  11. drill — a practice
  12. game — wild animals
  13. court — of a king
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. drill — the tool
  16. game — a match
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. court — for sport
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. drill — army training
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. chip — to eat
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. squash — the sport

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