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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. court — of law
  3. mine — for digging
  4. charge — a price
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. charge — in control
  10. clip — a video
  11. scale — size or range
  12. clip — to cut
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. court — of a king
  16. roll — a cake
  17. court — for sport
  18. roll — a list
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. clip — for paper
  24. charge — electricity

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