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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: nail · chip · file · track · can · dip · capital · perch

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chip — for betting
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. can — to be able to
  7. track — a song
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. can — a tin
  10. chip — to eat
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. track — a path
  14. capital — money
  15. file — a document
  16. track — to keep track
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. can — a tin
  19. dip — to sink
  20. capital — a city
  21. perch — the fish
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. dip — a sauce

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