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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: tube · chip · scale · pass · bark · prune · jam · wind

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wind — moving air
  4. scale — in music
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. chip — for betting
  12. scale — size or range
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pass — a permit
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wind — moving air
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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