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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cue · content · pop · file · perch · chip · lean · scale

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pop — to visit
  3. lean — thin
  4. cue — a signal
  5. content — the amount
  6. pop — soda
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cue — for pool
  9. content — happy
  10. pop — music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cue — a hint
  13. file — a document
  14. chip — for betting
  15. scale — in music
  16. chip — to eat
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. scale — size or range
  19. file — a line of people
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. file — a tool
  22. perch — the fish
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. perch — for a bird

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