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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: chip · land · field · fine · rule · bulb · scale · key

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. key — in music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chip — for betting
  5. key — for a lock
  6. scale — in music
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rule — government
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. land — to come down
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. land — ground
  16. field — for sport
  17. chip — to eat
  18. field — farmland
  19. land — a country
  20. field — a subject
  21. rule — a law
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rule — to rule out

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