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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 116 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rest — a break
  16. fall — the season
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cap — a hat
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rest — what's left

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