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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rock — music
  4. game — a match
  5. rock — a stone
  6. scale — in music
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. season — in sport
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. game — wild animals
  19. chip — to eat
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. chip — for betting
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. nail — for a hammer

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