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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. scale — in music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. swing — music
  7. foot — a measure
  8. swing — to play on
  9. court — of law
  10. hand — help
  11. season — in sport
  12. scale — size or range
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. court — for sport
  15. swing — in golf
  16. season — of the year
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. court — of a king
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. scale — for weighing

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