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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. scale — in music
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. ball — a dance
  8. chip — to eat
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. chip — for betting
  11. cap — of ice
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cell — in biology
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bulb — for light
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. scale — size or range
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cap — a hat

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