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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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Word bank
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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: jam · chip · scale · bulb · kid · snap · march · rash

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. scale — size or range
  4. kid — to tease
  5. march — the month
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. march — the month
  13. bulb — for light
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. kid — child
  16. bulb — for light
  17. march — music
  18. chip — for betting
  19. snap — to click
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rash — a series
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — to eat

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