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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chip — for betting
  5. land — to come down
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mug — a cup
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. bulb — for light
  11. land — a country
  12. chip — to eat
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. land — ground
  15. can — a tin
  16. tube — a container
  17. squash — the sport
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. tube — the underground
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mug — a face
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mug — to rob
  24. squash — the vegetable

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