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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 116 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 · prune · pop · nail · bat · file · chair · chip

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. file — a tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. scale — size or range
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. chair — a leader
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. prune — to trim
  17. scale — in music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. file — a document
  20. bat — the animal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. chip — to eat
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. chip — for betting

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