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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mark — a trace
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. present — there
  6. snap — to click
  7. bulb — for light
  8. present — a gift
  9. mark — a grade
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. present — the time now
  15. net — for catching
  16. bass — low music
  17. net — in sport
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. net — after costs
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bulb — for light
  24. coach — a trainer

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