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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rock — music
  3. perch — the fish
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rock — a stone
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. sharp — clever
  12. chest — a box
  13. scale — in music
  14. wound — an injury
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. chip — for betting
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wound — an injury
  24. perch — for a bird

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