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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. scale — in music
  3. chip — to eat
  4. march — music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. craft — a skill
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. face — to confront
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. craft — boats
  21. march — the month
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fork — in a road
  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