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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 116 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: mark · file · chip · scale · hide · pitcher · saw · fan

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. chip — to eat
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. saw — the tool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. file — a document
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. file — a tool
  19. chip — for betting
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mark — a grade
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mark — a trace
  24. hide — animal skin

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