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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. scale — in music
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bound — tied together
  5. snap — to click
  6. chip — for betting
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. rock — music
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bound — certain
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rock — a stone
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bound — obliged
  24. toast — bread

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