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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: stand · chip · scale · mouse · game · wax · row · court

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. scale — in music
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. court — of law
  13. game — a match
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stand — to bear
  16. court — for sport
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. row — a line
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. court — of a king

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