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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: mate · stand · saw · swing · chip · perch · tube · scale

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. perch — the fish
  3. swing — to play on
  4. scale — in music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. swing — music
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. scale — size or range
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mate — a friend
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stand — to bear
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. swing — in golf
  20. chip — for betting
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. tube — in a tire

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