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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. chip — for betting
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. can — a tin
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bulb — for light
  14. can — a tin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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