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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cap — a hat
  3. charge — in control
  4. chip — to eat
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. degree — an amount
  9. ground — crushed
  10. scale — in music
  11. degree — from a university
  12. charge — a price
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. ground — the earth
  16. chip — for betting
  17. cap — of ice
  18. ground — a position
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. charge — electricity
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. cap — a lid
  23. degree — temperature
  24. chip — in a computer

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