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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. clip — to cut
  5. chip — to eat
  6. key — the most important part
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bulb — for light
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. clip — for paper
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. swing — in golf
  20. clip — a video
  21. scale — in music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rash — hasty
  24. scale — for weighing

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