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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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. spell — letters
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. spell — a short time
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. game — wild animals
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bat — the animal
  11. swing — in golf
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. chip — to eat
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. swing — music
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. game — a match
  21. swing — to play on
  22. spell — magic
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bat — for baseball

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