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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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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. 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. stock — a soup base
  2. saw — the tool
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. roll — a list
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. tube — a container
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stock — goods
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stock — shares
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. roll — a cake
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. tube — the underground
  17. foot — a measure
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. chip — to eat
  24. 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