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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · wound · tube · ball · stand · scale · chip · pound

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. scale — size or range
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pound — a weight
  7. ball — a great time
  8. chip — for betting
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wound — an injury
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. scale — in music
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. tube — a container

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