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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. last — final
  5. land — a country
  6. bulb — for light
  7. object — to protest
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. object — an aim
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. last — finally
  13. land — ground
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. last — to go on
  17. land — to come down
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bulb — for light
  20. date — the fruit
  21. chip — for betting
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fine — all right
  24. object — a thing

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