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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 116 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: scale · rule · kick · land · dip · club · trunk · rest

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. scale — size or range
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — in football
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. club — for dancing
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. scale — in music
  12. land — a country
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rule — government
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. land — to come down
  17. club — a group
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. land — ground
  21. rest — a break
  22. rule — a law
  23. dip — to sink
  24. trunk — of a tree

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