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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cell — a phone
  5. game — a match
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. board — to get on
  9. tube — a container
  10. board — a committee
  11. scale — in music
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. game — wild animals
  14. scale — size or range
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. tube — the underground
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rash — hasty
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rash — a series

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