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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.

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: capital · chip · fine · scale · stand · saw · wave · bark

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. capital — money
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. capital — a city
  14. fine — all right
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fine — high quality
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. scale — for weighing

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