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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 · mouse · race · scale · roll · pass · file · chip

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. roll — a cake
  3. scale — in music
  4. row — to paddle
  5. file — a document
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. row — a line
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. roll — a list
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. file — a tool
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. file — a line of people
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pass — to succeed
  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