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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: pound · racket · chest · rock · hide · date · scale · chip

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. scale — in music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pound — a weight
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chest — a box
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chip — for betting
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chip — to eat
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. chest — of your body
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rock — 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