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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bulb — for light
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stock — shares
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. content — happy
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. scale — in music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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