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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kid — child
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. prune — to trim
  12. key — for a lock
  13. prune — to trim
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. kid — to tease
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. scale — size or range
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. prune — the fruit

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