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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. cell — in biology
  11. scale — in music
  12. degree — from a university
  13. last — finally
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. scale — size or range
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mug — to rob

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