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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 120 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 · row · cue · pop · wake · chip · current · can

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cue — for pool
  3. can — a tin
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. scale — size or range
  9. cue — a hint
  10. current — electric
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. scale — in music
  13. row — a line
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cue — a signal
  16. can — a tin
  17. pop — music
  18. can — to be able to
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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