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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: chip · staff · cap · scale · perch · root · club · stock

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. staff — employees
  3. perch — the fish
  4. club — a group
  5. staff — employees
  6. scale — size or range
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. root — of a word
  9. staff — a stick
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cap — of ice
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stock — goods
  15. root — the cause
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. chip — to eat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. chip — for betting
  22. root — of a plant
  23. club — for golf
  24. cap — a hat

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