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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pop — soda
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fine — high quality
  9. dip — to sink
  10. march — the month
  11. land — ground
  12. fine — all right
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pop — to visit
  15. land — to come down
  16. chip — to eat
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. land — a country
  23. pop — music
  24. fine — a penalty

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