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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. chest — of your body
  3. scale — in music
  4. wind — moving air
  5. chest — a box
  6. chip — for betting
  7. field — farmland
  8. chest — of your body
  9. firm — steady
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bulb — for light
  13. firm — decided
  14. chip — to eat
  15. field — for sport
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. firm — a company
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wind — moving air
  23. scale — size or range
  24. field — a subject

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