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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: toast · scale · bay · chip · mouse · dip · fine · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. toast — bread
  3. scale — in music
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fine — high quality
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fine — all right
  13. chip — for betting
  14. present — the time now
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. present — there
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. dip — a sauce

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