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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. ground — the earth
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. scale — in music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ground — a position
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — help
  18. scale — size or range
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chip — for betting
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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