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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fall — the season
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mark — a grade
  5. scale — in music
  6. dip — to sink
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. kick — in football
  10. bat — the animal
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. chip — to eat
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mark — a trace
  21. chip — for betting
  22. scale — size or range
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fall — to drop

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