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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rush — hurry
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. degree — an amount
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. degree — temperature
  20. chip — for betting
  21. degree — from a university
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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