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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.

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: current · scale · snap · fall · file · bass · chip · dip

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bass — low music
  3. file — a tool
  4. bass — the fish
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. current — electric
  8. fall — to drop
  9. snap — to click
  10. fall — the season
  11. file — a line of people
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chip — to eat
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fall — to drop
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. current — of water
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. file — a document
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. current — happening now
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. scale — in 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