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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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. can — a tin
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pop — music
  5. pit — in a race
  6. scale — in music
  7. cap — a lid
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pop — soda
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. can — a tin
  18. chip — to eat
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. can — to be able to
  21. kick — in football
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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