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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · jam · key · chip · mouse · kick · ruler · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. scale — in music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. chip — for betting
  9. key — for a lock
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. key — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fall — the season
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fall — to drop
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. scale — size or range
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chip — to eat
  24. kick — in football

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