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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. spell — magic
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rest — a break
  5. march — music
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rest — what's left
  9. scale — in music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spring — of water
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spell — letters
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rest — what's left
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spring — the season
  21. march — the month
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. scale — size or range

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