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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: firm · chip · shower · perch · club · stand · scale · tube

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. chip — to eat
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. firm — decided
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. firm — a company
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. club — for golf
  13. tube — the underground
  14. chip — for betting
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. tube — a container
  20. firm — steady
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. shower — rain
  23. perch — the fish
  24. stand — to bear

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