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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. scale — in music
  5. roll — a cake
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. toast — bread
  9. stem — to come from
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. roll — a list
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chip — to eat
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. wound — an injury

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