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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. chip — to eat
  5. ground — crushed
  6. spell — magic
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. spell — letters
  9. chip — for betting
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. press — a publisher
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a document
  18. spell — a short time
  19. press — newspapers
  20. file — a tool
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. ground — a position
  23. press — to push
  24. cabinet — ministers

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