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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. staff — employees
  8. mark — a trace
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bulb — for light
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mark — a grade
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pound — a weight
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. staff — employees
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. staff — a stick

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