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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: club · ball · scale · hide · chip · rest · content · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. club — for dancing
  3. ball — a great time
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chip — to eat
  7. scale — size or range
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. club — a group
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. ball — a dance
  13. content — the amount
  14. scale — in music
  15. rest — a break
  16. club — for golf
  17. content — happy
  18. rest — what's left
  19. present — a gift
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chip — for betting
  22. present — there
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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