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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. scale — in music
  4. fall — the season
  5. cap — a lid
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cap — a hat
  10. firm — steady
  11. cap — of ice
  12. firm — a company
  13. object — an aim
  14. fall — to drop
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pitch — completely
  17. firm — decided
  18. kid — to tease
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. scale — size or range
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fall — to drop
  24. object — to protest

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