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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 120 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: swing · scale · bear · drill · mug · wind · pound · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. scale — in music
  5. drill — the tool
  6. wind — moving air
  7. swing — in golf
  8. drill — army training
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mug — a cup
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. drill — a practice
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bear — the animal
  23. swing — music
  24. pound — a weight

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