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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: key · swing · straw · toast · calf · chip · scale · tube

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. swing — in golf
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. tube — a container
  8. chip — for betting
  9. toast — bread
  10. tube — the underground
  11. key — for a lock
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. scale — in music
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. swing — music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. key — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. key — the most important part
  22. swing — to play on
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. chip — to eat

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