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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: can · file · fine · scale · bear · clip · net · chip

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chip — to eat
  3. file — a tool
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. clip — a video
  7. scale — size or range
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. net — for catching
  12. bear — the animal
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. fine — high quality
  16. clip — for paper
  17. file — a document
  18. clip — to cut
  19. fine — all right
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chip — for betting
  22. file — a line of people
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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