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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: scale · court · lean · chip · cell · root · date · pop

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pop — to visit
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cell — in biology
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pop — soda
  8. chip — for betting
  9. court — of law
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pop — music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lean — thin
  14. court — of a king
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. scale — in music
  17. root — the cause
  18. court — for sport
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. date — the fruit
  22. cell — a phone
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. date — on the calendar

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