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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bass — low music
  3. race — a contest
  4. court — for sport
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bulb — for light
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. chip — to eat
  14. season — of the year
  15. race — humankind
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bass — the fish
  24. season — in sport

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