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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. charge — a price
  8. chest — a box
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bulb — for light
  17. charge — in control
  18. wake — a trail
  19. chest — of your body
  20. charge — electricity
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. chip — for betting
  24. scale — in music

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