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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. spell — magic
  3. hand — help
  4. spell — a short time
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chip — for betting
  8. spell — letters
  9. root — the cause
  10. scale — size or range
  11. charge — a price
  12. root — of a word
  13. hand — in cards
  14. charge — electricity
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. drill — the tool
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. drill — a practice
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chip — to eat
  21. root — of a plant
  22. charge — in control
  23. drill — army training
  24. scale — for weighing

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