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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: file · spell · cue · scale · chip · bulb · prune · game

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cue — a hint
  3. prune — to trim
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. spell — letters
  6. scale — in music
  7. game — wild animals
  8. prune — to trim
  9. game — a match
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chip — for betting
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. spell — a short time
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. spell — magic
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chip — to eat
  24. file — a document

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