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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ground — crushed
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. spell — letters
  6. ground — the earth
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. scale — in music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ground — a position
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spell — magic
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. chip — for betting
  15. present — a gift
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. spell — a short time
  18. present — there
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. present — the time now
  21. scale — size or range
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bulb — of a plant

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