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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · last · toast · scale · tube · rock · field · cap

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. field — farmland
  3. toast — bread
  4. tube — the underground
  5. field — for sport
  6. last — finally
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cap — a hat
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rock — a stone
  21. field — a subject
  22. rock — music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — in music

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