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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. roll — a list
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. file — a document
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. file — a tool
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. file — a line of people
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pound — a weight
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. roll — a cake
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pop — to visit
  22. chip — for betting
  23. row — a line
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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