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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 116 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rash — hasty
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. scale — in music
  12. march — the month
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rash — a series
  15. degree — temperature
  16. chip — for betting
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. march — music
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wax — to grow
  23. degree — an amount
  24. march — the month

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