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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: mouse · scale · mark · chip · date · bank · bulb · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bulb — for light
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bulb — for light
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mark — a grade
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bank — for money
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. scale — in music
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mark — a trace
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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