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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. cap — a hat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. land — to come down
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. chip — to eat
  7. land — ground
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. land — a country
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fine — all right
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. key — for a lock
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cap — a lid
  20. key — in music
  21. fine — high quality
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. key — the most important part
  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