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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pop — soda
  6. scale — in music
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pop — music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. chest — a box
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pop — to visit
  22. chip — to eat
  23. scale — size or range
  24. arm — a part of something

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