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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pit — in a race
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. race — a contest
  10. court — of a king
  11. band — a ring
  12. chip — for betting
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bulb — for light
  15. band — a music group
  16. suit — clothes
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. suit — in cards
  20. court — of law
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. court — for 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