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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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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: bound · chip · kid · fork · staff · suit · kick · scale

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. suit — clothes
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. kick — in football
  10. bound — tied together
  11. scale — in music
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fork — in a road
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bound — certain
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. kid — child
  23. staff — employees
  24. kid — to tease

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