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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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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 knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. firm — decided
  7. bass — low music
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. firm — steady
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bass — the fish
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. chip — to eat
  15. sharp — clever
  16. firm — a company
  17. tube — the underground
  18. perch — the fish
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. tube — a container
  24. scale — for weighing

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