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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ball — a dance
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. tube — the underground
  7. foot — a measure
  8. chest — of your body
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. kid — child
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. kid — to tease
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. chest — a box
  16. tube — a container
  17. ball — a great time
  18. chip — to eat
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chest — of your body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. scale — in music

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