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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 · pound · cue · nail · date · can · chip · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. tube — a container
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. chip — to eat
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cue — a hint
  8. scale — size or range
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. can — a tin
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. cue — a signal
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. tube — the underground
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. can — to be able to
  18. date — the fruit
  19. can — a tin
  20. pound — a weight
  21. cue — for pool
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. tube — in a tire

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