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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 116 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: net · scale · dip · saw · chip · present · spring · can

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. present — a gift
  9. net — in sport
  10. scale — in music
  11. net — after costs
  12. can — to be able to
  13. chip — for betting
  14. can — a tin
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. saw — the tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. spring — the season
  19. dip — to sink
  20. net — for catching
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. scale — size or range
  24. saw — the tool

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