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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. suit — in cards
  3. scale — size or range
  4. chip — for betting
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. suit — clothes
  8. object — to protest
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. chip — to eat
  11. last — final
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. last — to go on
  17. bulb — for light
  18. suit — to fit
  19. object — an aim
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. scale — in music
  24. last — finally

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