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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: row · bound · chip · net · last · scale · lean · can

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bound — obliged
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bound — tied together
  7. net — after costs
  8. chip — for betting
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. last — to go on
  11. net — for catching
  12. lean — thin
  13. can — a tin
  14. bound — certain
  15. chip — to eat
  16. can — a tin
  17. scale — size or range
  18. last — final
  19. net — in sport
  20. row — to paddle
  21. last — finally
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. can — to be able to

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