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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: tube · bank · pound · court · roll · scale · cell · chip

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. pound — a weight
  3. chip — for betting
  4. roll — a list
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. roll — a cake
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bank — of a river
  9. scale — in music
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bank — for money
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. court — for sport
  14. chip — to eat
  15. court — of a king
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bank — for money
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. scale — size or range
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. court — of law
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. tube — a container
  24. cell — in biology

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