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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rash — a series
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pop — music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. chip — to eat
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. saw — the tool
  14. plane — a tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chip — for betting
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rash — hasty
  24. foot — part of the body

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