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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: scale · fork · saw · chip · hide · court · squash · firm

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. scale — in music
  4. fork — in a road
  5. firm — a company
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. court — of law
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. court — of a king
  11. scale — size or range
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. firm — steady
  14. chip — to eat
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. court — for sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. firm — decided
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. chip — for betting

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