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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fine — high quality
  3. scale — in music
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fine — all right
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. scale — size or range
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rash — hasty
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rash — a series
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fine — a penalty

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