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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rest — a break
  3. scale — size or range
  4. capital — money
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. land — to come down
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rush — hurry
  11. chip — to eat
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. capital — a city

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