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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: rock · face · wake · chip · clip · ball · scale · spell

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. face — part of the head
  3. scale — in music
  4. chip — to eat
  5. clip — for paper
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rock — a stone
  10. clip — a video
  11. face — to point toward
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. wake — a trail
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. clip — to cut
  18. ball — a great time
  19. spell — magic
  20. face — to confront
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. scale — size or range
  24. ball — a dance

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