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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. chip — for betting
  7. scale — size or range
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ground — a position
  15. scale — in music
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. spell — a short time
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cue — a signal

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