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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. swing — to play on
  16. chip — to eat
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. chip — for betting
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. scale — in music

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