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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 120 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: scale · mouse · current · spell · row · chip · stem · content

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. spell — a short time
  3. current — electric
  4. scale — in music
  5. current — happening now
  6. scale — size or range
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. content — happy
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. current — of water
  13. content — the amount
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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