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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 · foot · scale · tube · face · pop · kick · calf

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. face — to point toward
  3. scale — in music
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. chip — to eat
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. kick — in football
  9. foot — a measure
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pop — soda
  12. tube — a container
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. face — to confront
  19. pop — music
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. scale — size or range
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pop — to visit
  24. face — part of the head

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