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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: bark · nail · chip · bulb · scale · court · straw · deal

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. court — of law
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. scale — in music
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. chip — for betting
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. deal — to handle
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. scale — size or range
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bark — to shout
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bulb — for light
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of a king

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