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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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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: scale · mate · fork · chip · chair · present · mouse · bay

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mate — to breed
  4. scale — in music
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. chair — a leader
  9. present — the time now
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fork — in a road
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chip — to eat

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