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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bound — certain
  5. degree — from a university
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bound — tied together
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bulb — for light
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bound — obliged
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chip — to eat
  24. prune — the fruit

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