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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: chip · pop · rock · scale · net · fall · track · calf

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pop — to visit
  6. track — a path
  7. pop — music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pop — soda
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rock — music
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fall — to drop
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. net — after costs
  21. scale — size or range
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. track — a song
  24. scale — in music

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