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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. present — the time now
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bark — to shout
  9. present — a gift
  10. march — the month
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. march — the month
  16. present — there
  17. scale — in music
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. march — music
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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