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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cap — of ice
  3. charge — electricity
  4. chip — for betting
  5. scale — size or range
  6. staff — employees
  7. pop — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. staff — a stick
  13. charge — in control
  14. staff — employees
  15. pop — soda
  16. foot — a measure
  17. chip — to eat
  18. cap — a hat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fall — the season
  21. charge — a price
  22. cap — a lid
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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