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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: ruler · wake · pop · chip · wound · bulb · trunk · scale

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pop — soda
  9. scale — in music
  10. wake — a trail
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wound — an injury
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pop — to visit
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pop — music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bulb — for light
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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