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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: roll · suit · net · scale · chip · wave · row · pitcher

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. chip — for betting
  8. roll — a cake
  9. scale — in music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. suit — in cards
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. row — a line
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. chip — to eat
  22. net — for catching
  23. row — to paddle
  24. wave — with your hand

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