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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 120 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: chair · scale · object · band · ball · chip · wind · lie

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. ball — a great time
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. band — a ring
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. object — to protest
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. scale — in music
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wind — moving air
  20. object — a thing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. object — an aim
  23. band — a music group
  24. ball — a dance

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