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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. content — happy
  10. content — the amount
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chip — to eat
  13. lean — thin
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stock — goods
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bulb — for light

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