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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: scale · pop · field · chip · calf · swing · lie · current

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. current — electric
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pop — music
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — a subject
  7. swing — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. scale — in music
  10. chip — to eat
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. current — of water
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. current — happening now
  16. scale — size or range
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pop — soda
  20. field — for sport
  21. lie — to recline
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. swing — to play on
  24. lie — an untruth

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