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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: lean · scale · suit · game · pit · hand · chip · band

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lean — thin
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. suit — clothes
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. pit — in a race
  13. chip — for betting
  14. hand — in cards
  15. scale — in music
  16. hand — help
  17. chip — to eat
  18. lean — to bend
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pit — a hole
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. game — wild animals

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