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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: chip · deal · scale · racket · straw · bore · pound · spell

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. chip — to eat
  4. spell — magic
  5. bore — to drill
  6. chip — for betting
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bore — to tire
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. spell — letters
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. deal — to handle
  18. spell — a short time
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

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