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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: chip · ground · bulb · rush · saw · cue · scale · track

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. chip — to eat
  4. ground — the earth
  5. track — a path
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cue — for pool
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cue — a signal
  11. scale — in music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bulb — for light
  15. track — a song
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. chip — for betting
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rush — to hurry

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