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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: scale · dip · cabinet · nail · march · craft · chip · file

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. scale — size or range
  4. craft — a skill
  5. file — a document
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. march — music
  10. file — a line of people
  11. dip — to sink
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. file — a tool
  19. march — the month
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. march — the month
  22. scale — in music
  23. craft — boats
  24. nail — on a finger

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