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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: board · roll · scale · toast · chip · chest · mouse · march

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. chip — to eat
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. toast — bread
  5. march — music
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chest — of your body
  9. scale — size or range
  10. chip — for betting
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. scale — in music
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. roll — a cake
  17. march — the month
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. chest — a box
  20. roll — a list
  21. march — the month
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. mouse — for a computer

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