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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rash — a series
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. kid — child
  7. deal — to handle
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bat — the animal
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. rash — hasty
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bark — to shout
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. chip — in a computer

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