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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. race — the arms race
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. clip — a video
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. content — happy
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. clip — to cut
  13. content — the amount
  14. chip — to eat
  15. vault — a safe
  16. clip — for paper
  17. scale — in music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — a contest
  24. chip — for betting

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