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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.

Make a worksheet

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: suit · bowl · chip · straw · scale · file

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. scale — in music
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. chip — for betting
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. chip — to eat
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. suit — in cards
  13. file — a document
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. 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