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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. chest — of your body
  6. race — the arms race
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. race — humankind
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. chest — a box
  12. mark — a trace
  13. chip — for betting
  14. tube — a container
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. tube — the underground
  17. race — a contest
  18. ground — a position
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chip — to eat
  22. hand — in cards
  23. ground — crushed
  24. hand — help

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