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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. spring — of water
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. spring — the season
  6. scale — in music
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. spring — a coil
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ball — a dance
  17. board — to get on
  18. chest — of your body
  19. scale — size or range
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chest — a box

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