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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 116 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cap — a hat
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cap — of ice
  8. object — a thing
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. object — to protest
  11. hand — help
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. scale — in music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cap — a lid
  20. hand — in cards
  21. object — an aim
  22. snap — to click
  23. scale — size or range
  24. chip — for betting

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