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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: fork · wind · pop · board · perch · scale · mine · chip

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. scale — for weighing
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. chip — for betting
  8. scale — in music
  9. board — to get on
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fork — in a road
  13. wind — moving air
  14. perch — the fish
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pop — music
  18. board — a committee
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pop — soda
  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