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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: march · stand · last · chip · scale · sharp · tube · bank

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bank — of a river
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. last — to go on
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. sharp — clever
  10. last — finally
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. bank — for money
  19. last — final
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bank — for money
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. march — the month
  24. tube — a container

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