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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: scale · bulb · rule · wake · hide · degree · chip · cue

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wake — a trail
  4. degree — from a university
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. scale — size or range
  8. chip — for betting
  9. degree — an amount
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rule — a law
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cue — a signal
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cue — for pool
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. degree — temperature
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — to rule out
  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