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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. spring — a coil
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rock — music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. spring — of water
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rock — a stone
  14. court — for sport
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spring — the season

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