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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 120 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
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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: sharp · clip · chair · cabinet · club · firm · chest · scale

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. club — for golf
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. clip — to cut
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chair — a leader
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. sharp — clever
  11. firm — steady
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. firm — a company
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. firm — decided
  16. club — for dancing
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. clip — a video
  19. chest — a box
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chest — of your body
  22. clip — for paper
  23. club — a group
  24. scale — size or range

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